The ‘Original’ Ronaldo Announces Retirement
By Chris Wright
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima (aka Fat Ron) has announced that he will retire from the game after his current deal at Corinthians ends in 2011.
The legendary Brazilian striker told a press conference in his homeland;
“I will play until December 31st 2011 and then I will retire from playing football. I want to give my maximum for Corinthians and to finish my career having won something important with this shirt.”
Ronaldo truly was one of the greats, and the former Barcelona and Inter Milan hitman will rightly be remembered as a legend in his own lifetime - but to be honest, I’m just using this news as a thinly veiled excuse to post this brilliant video of some of El Fenomeno’s highlights…
What a player! His goofiness and extra-pitch activities may detract somewhat from his legacy, but for me he’s all-time Top 10 and perhaps the greatest centre-forward of all time.
Agreed. Though, I can’t decide what my favorite nickname of his is.
Chubby Chipmunk Cheeks or the Fat One (as in, Ronaldo – Which one? The Fat One).
I’ma go with the Fat One.
Couldn’t agree more Ollie – definitely one of the best players of all time. I’ve got a ‘R9′ VHS somewhere that I must have worn out through repeated awe-struck watching!
When he was ripping up pitches for Barcelona, I don’t remember ever being more astonished by a player. He was out of this world, like a demonic cross between Romario and Cristiano Ronaldo. Knee injuries robbed him of his pace, but his eye for goal has never deserted him.
Unlike many of my classmates and friends, my interest in football didn’t start until the ’98 World Cup where I was blown away by the real Ronaldo, and I’ve been a fan ever since. To this day I still hail him as one of the greatest ever. All time top 10 for me as well. Easily. The knee injuries were not only damaging to himself but to the entire football world.
Goodbye Ronaldo, you will be missed.
I’m crying. And wanking. A measure of the influence this man has had on my life.
Philando, that’s beautiful.
There is only one ronaldo
philando is a perfectionst.
Olie is wrong, Ronaldo’s off field antics will have no bearing how he is remembered.
Just like no one cares (except the pathologically obsessed brits) about Maradona snorting half of Columbia.
Ronaldo is one of the greats of his generation and will always be the only Ronaldo. Crissy can go by his first name if he wants.
Brilliant player. Shame about what happened before the 1998 world cup.