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Ronaldo begins divorce proceedings with Real
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-01 06:14
For Ronaldo it all seems to come too easily. He can amble around the pitch
for 89 minutes and then decide a game with one devastating run and shot.
The Brazilian's reputation has not been helped by his carrying too much
weight and he is often shown struggling in training runs by the suffocating
Madrid sports media.
Off-the-field distractions such as his Valentine's Day engagement ceremony to
former girlfriend Daniella Cicarelli just a few days before last year's
Champions League defeat by Juventus rankled with fans and fellow members of the
squad.
Most important of all, though, is the fact that his presence at the club has
not brought Real the success the fans crave. A single league title in four
seasons is scant reward for having the world's best striker on the payroll.
Ronaldo has carried off a stack of individual awards but these have done
little to fill Real's trophy cabinet.
When he paraded the Ballon D'Or and World Player awards to the crowd at the
Bernabeu in December 2002, they responded with a chant of "Raul, Raul".
Uncomfortably for any coach thinking of taking on Ronaldo, the majority of
his achievements have come at international, not club level.
Injury problems
He has won only one league title in the 12 seasons since his arrival in
Europe and has yet to win the Champions League although he was in the Barca side
that won the Cup Winners' Cup and helped Inter triumph in the UEFA Cup.
Injury is part of the explanation. A career-threatening knee injury at Inter
kept him out of the game for over two seasons and untimely muscular problems
have disrupted his progress at Real.
As for his future, club captain Raul has given him a clear warning to bite
his tongue until the end of the season.
Real, who have denied reports that he is for sale, are also likely to remain
tight-lipped because they need his goals if they are to have a chance of winning
anything.
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