Ronaldo – El Phenomenon’s journey comes to an end with Brazil (Part 3)
At the start of the 1999-2000 football season in Europe, Ronaldo looked to be returning to his best form after exorcising the demons of the 1998 FIFA World Cup final against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899. After scoring 14 goals in 19 matches for Inter Milan at the start of the season, everyone expected Ronaldo to regain his throne as the world’s best player.
However, disaster struck for Ronaldo as he suffered a tendon break in his right knee in November of 1999. This injury had a devastating effect on the Brazilian striker as it hampered his acceleration levels. For a player like Ronaldo who depended on his speed and trickery to beat defenders, his knee injury was a heart break. Nonetheless, it seemed that everything was back to normal in the Ronaldo camp when he returned back to full match fitness for http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Inter-c39567 Milan after five months of fitness rehabilitation and an operation on his knee.
Regardless, fortune did not shine upon Ronaldo in the Coppa Italia final when Inter Milan lined up against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lazio-c39775. The Brazilian striker was included in the starting eleven as he was destined to make his comeback for the Nerazzurri but after just spending seven minutes on the field, Ronaldo had to be stretchered off as he had suffered a ligament tear in his knee, the same knee which had troubled him earlier on in the season. It was yet another frightening experience for the Brazilian striker who recovered in time for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Taking the stage in South Korea and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-c30728 Madrid. In the end, Inter Milan parted ways with their striker for 39 million Euros.
At Madrid, Ronaldo went onto score 83 goals in 127 matches in five wonderful years for Los Blancos. He was then sold by Madrid in January of 2007 after falling out with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Italy-c2926, Ronaldo scored two goals in his debut match for the Rossoneri. His goal scoring capabilities gained further acclaim when he scored against Inter Milan in the Milanese derby.
In the end, it was a sad ending for Ronaldo who suffered a knee cap ligament rupture in February of 2008. Following his injury, the veteran striker choose not to renew his contact with Milan at the end of the season and thus made his way back to Brazil as he signed a contract with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Corinthians-c38855. In his first season back in the Brazilian top division, Ronaldo scored 27 goals in 50 matches despite being out of action for an over a year before his first match for Corinthians. Nonetheless, in February of 2011 Ronaldo announced his retirement from football. He accepted that he had lost out the battle to fitness as his body had broken down in face of the injuries that he had faced throughout his career.
Regardless, Brazilian football federation has decided that Ronaldo will be given a last farewell friendly match with the Brazilian national team against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Romania-c2990. The match which takes place on 7th of June, 2011 is set to cap off a wonderful career. Football fans around the world have been delighted to the Brazilian striker’s extraordinary talent but now it all comes to an end for Ronaldo, what a journey it has been for the Rio de Janeiro boy.
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