I Wish Ronaldo Would Retire
It has literally pained me, as a football fan, to write that headline. Having followed his career from Cruzeiro to Europe and the heady heights of four World Cup finals, I’ve seen a footballer with as much natural talent as any other I’ve witnessed and now see that talent being wasted in what seems a pool of apathy and disinterest in the game.
Ronaldo for Barcelona was a strutting, goalscoring legend. He was both the great goalscorer and the scorer of great goals but recently he’s seemed overweight and disinterested in either club football for that greatest of wrecking yards Real Madrid or for Brazil.
Last night in a typically cagey Brazilian first World Cup group game he dandered around the pitch hardly able to make a contribution, either through being too far off the pace or just plainly not interested in trying. The spark is gone, with many players we say the mind is willing but the body isn’t able, with Ronaldo I think the problem is that the mind doesn’t care enough and the body doesn’t know what to do anymore.
I never agree with Ian Wright on any subject but I’m told he described watching Ronaldo last night as being the same as watching Muhammad Ali in his later years, overweight and finished, getting paddled by people like Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick who he would have whupped at his peak. It’s sad and disappointing to see it but I think it’s a great analogy.
Maybe once the spark is gone for any profession it’s time to move on, even playing football for Brazil, and if Ronaldo can’t motivate himself for a World Cup then there really is nothing left for him in the world game. I’d be sad to see him go but not half as sad as i am to see him playing the way he has been for the past couple of years. Do us all a favour Ronnie and let us keep those memories of the good times and don’t have them spoilt by this pathetic excuse for a top flight career.
(Brazil did win by the way, 1-0 thanks to Kaka, next up Guus Hiddink and Australia)
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POSTED IN: Past World Cups
1 opinion for I Wish Ronaldo Would Retire
All the latest World Cup news and information from the wonderful world of soccer. - Soccerati.net - The World Cup » My Nutrionist Failed
Dec 31, 2006 at 10:13 am
[…] Would you want him to retire as Allan from the footie pointed out asking Ronaldo a favor. […]
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