Ronaldo

Peyton Manning

Well it looks like Ronaldo's career could very well be finished. Suffered an awful knee injury tonight, not too disimilar to the one he suffered for Inter against Lazio all those years ago. He was stretchered off and in tears. You really do feel for him, he's had fuch awful injuries. Really hope this isnt the last we see of him, but you get the feeling it very well could be.

Best of all time IMO. My hero. :(:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2NHqSXftzU

The Volt

I was expecting a vid of the injury =/

Nailz

Me too.

Xavi6

I thought this was gonna be another thread about that other imitation Ronaldo

Be a shame to lose the big man. Legend.

Mitch Connor

Xavi6 wrote: »

I thought this was gonna be another thread about that other imitation Ronaldo

Be a shame to lose the big man. Legend.

Sigh, Yawn, Boring.

As for Ronaldo, that sucks. Remember him bursting on to the scene with PSV, he was freaking godly. Got even better with his move to Barcelona.

While he has had a great career and his scoring record has been fantastic, I think he would have been a hell of a lot better if not for the injuries. He seemed to lose some pace and movement after 98. He was destined to be THE best ever, shame he never quite made it.

Hopefully it is not the end of his career, it would be a terrible way to go.

Mad_Max

is there any actual vids of the injury? major bummer for him.

Xavi6

Tauren wrote: »

Sigh, Yawn, Boring.

Agreed, another thread would have been a yawm fest

Mitch Connor

Xavi6 wrote: »

Agreed, another thread would have been a yawm fest

oh ho ho ho.

and just cause i'm in one of those moods. what is a yawm?

Nunu

Awful news:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHk2O_c0src

Ronaldo has been stretchered off in tears after sustaining what could be a very serious left knee injury.

The Brazilian had only been on the field for three minutes in Milan’s rescheduled Week 16 match with Livorno when he collapsed in the box.

The referee awarded a penalty for Jose Luis Vidigal’s handball – later converted by Andrea Pirlo to equalise from Nico Pulzetti’s effort – but all attention was on Ronaldo.

He was stretchered off screaming and crying in agony, clutching his left knee, and initial reports suggest it is a very serious injury to the tendons.

The fall was not entirely dissimilar to the April 12, 2000 collapse that happened minutes after his comeback for Inter against Lazio.

That kept him out for almost another year and with the recent rumours Ronaldo is considering retirement, there are fears another setback could force Il Fenomeno out of football.

The player has been immediately rushed to a local hospital for tests, accompanied in the ambulance by Milan director Leonardo.

It is just the latest in a series of disastrous injuries that have struck Ronaldo. The first was on November 21, 1998 when he partially tore the tendon in his right knee during Inter-Lecce.

He underwent surgery and returned on April 12, 2000 in the Coppa Italia Final against Lazio, but within six minutes the same knee visibly buckled without challenge and this time the tendon was completely severed.

Another operation kept him out of action for almost a year and he was declared “clinically healed” on March 8, 2001.

He had a number of muscular problems on the road to match fitness and switched to Real Madrid in June 2002, but here too had setbacks and was out for three months after straining ligaments in his left leg in 2005.

In Ronaldo’s first six months at Milan he scored seven goals in 14 games, but has barely set foot on the pitch since the summer due to a series of muscular injuries.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb13p.html

eirebhoy

1993/1994 Season : Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - 58 goals in 60 games.
1994/1995 Season : PSV Eindhoven (Holland) - 33 goals in 34 games.
1995/1996 Season : PSV Eindhoven (Holland) - 18 goals in 18 games.
1996/1997 Season : Barcelona (Spain) - 47 goals in 49 games.
1997/1998 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 25 goals in 30 games.
1998/1999 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 15 goals in 19 games.
1999/2000 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 3 goals in 7 games.
2000/2001 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - Knee injury.
2001/2002 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 7 goals in 10 games.
2002/2003 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 29 goals in 42 games.
2003/2004 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 28 goals in 41 games.
2004/2005 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 24 goals in 44 games.
2005/2006 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 14 goals in 23 games.
2006/2007 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 3 goals in 10 games.
2006/2007 Season : AC Milan (Italy) - 7 goals in 14 games.
2007/2008 Season : AC Milan (Italy) - 2 goals in 5 games.

Brazil : 62 goals in 97 games.

Best striker ever.

Mr. Presentable

Severed tendon. A great player's career is finished

http://www.acmilan.com/index.aspx

Nunu

nipplenuts wrote: »

Severed tendon. A great player's career is finished

http://www.acmilan.com/index.aspx

Severed tendon?...It says 'rupture to his kneecap ligament' on their breaking news. Still either is a horrible injury...and it looked so innocuous -they always seem to be the worst injuries?

Sadly, it does indeed look like it's all over for Ronaldo...what a ****ing phenonenon he was! I will never forget his wonder season at Barcelona and feel priviledged to have seen his whole career. I had him earmarked for greatness pre world cup '94 as a 17 year old and even got his name/number on my brazil jersey before that tourrnament to much ridicule from my friends because he didn't feature...I think I had the last laugh though.

chopperbyrne

Amazing player.

A shame if that's his last ever game.

Hopefully he'll play a one off charity match or something.

Sqaull20

Was a Truly magical player, the Mike Tyson off soccer if you like, nobody quite like him at his peak...

Recent greats like Henry,Sheva etc just cant compare with him..

I will miss him, his hat trick at Old Trafford will forever be in my memory

chopperbyrne

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Was a Truly magical player, the Mike Tyson off soccer if you like, nobody quite like him at his peak...

Recent greats like Henry,Sheva etc just cant compare with him..

I will miss him, his hat trick at Old Trafford will forever be in my memory

Mike Tyson, could you not pick someone whose name isn't tarnished?!!

Muhammad Ali maybe?

Hell even Rocky Balboa will do!

Highlights from his amazing season at Barcelona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXOMPo7cEI

Nunu

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Mike Tyson, could you not pick someone whose name isn't tarnished?!!

Muhammad Ali maybe?

Hell even Rocky Balboa will do!

I understand what he means though....just going by talent alone should have been the best ever, but other circumstances dictated otherwise.

Pepe LeFrits

eirebhoy wrote: »

1993/1994 Season : Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - 58 goals in 60 games.
1994/1995 Season : PSV Eindhoven (Holland) - 33 goals in 34 games.
1995/1996 Season : PSV Eindhoven (Holland) - 18 goals in 18 games.
1996/1997 Season : Barcelona (Spain) - 47 goals in 49 games.
1997/1998 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 25 goals in 30 games.
1998/1999 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 15 goals in 19 games.
1999/2000 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 3 goals in 7 games.
2000/2001 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - Knee injury.
2001/2002 Season : Inter Milan (Italy) - 7 goals in 10 games.
2002/2003 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 29 goals in 42 games.
2003/2004 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 28 goals in 41 games.
2004/2005 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 24 goals in 44 games.
2005/2006 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 14 goals in 23 games.
2006/2007 Season : Real Madrid (Spain) - 3 goals in 10 games.
2006/2007 Season : AC Milan (Italy) - 7 goals in 14 games.
2007/2008 Season : AC Milan (Italy) - 2 goals in 5 games.

Brazil : 62 goals in 97 games.

Best striker ever.

Where are those stats from? According to wikipedia, in his first at Inter season he scored 25 goals but that was only in the league, he bagged another 9 in cup and european competition.

Sad to see his career end like this.

eirebhoy

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Where are those stats from?

All over the place. Not 100% accurate but give a good idea. Some of the stats will be correct. Some will only include league goals. It's too difficult to find all his goal stats.

Sqaull20

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Mike Tyson, could you not pick someone whose name isn't tarnished?!!

Muhammad Ali maybe?

Hell even Rocky Balboa will do!

Mike tyson was unique as a boxer, nobody had seen anything like him before he came along similar to Ronaldo, both shared that same pure explosive power, with breakneck speed and skill....

Nailz

The Shaun Ryder of soccer, thats more like it...

chopperbyrne

It's not Maradona we're talking about!

Nailz

I didn't see anything wrong with Shaun Ryder, what about Ian Curtis???

Nunu

chopperbyrne wrote: »

It's not Maradona we're talking about!

No, but when Ronaldo finished his one season with Barcelona I had no doubt that he was going to go on to be remembered as the best player ever. I was wrong, but he came mighty close...alongside Van Basten, streets ahead of any other striker i have seen.

chopperbyrne

Nunu wrote: »

No, but when Ronaldo finished his one season with Barcelona I had no doubt that he was going to go on to be remembered as the best player ever. I was wrong, but he came mighty close...alongside Van Basten, streets ahead of any other striker i have seen.

I meant in reference to comparing him to a drugged up moron like Shaun Ryder.

From the first time I saw him play for Barcelona you could see he was destined for greatness.

~Rebel~

Absolutely gutted to hear about this. Poor guy! Probably my favourite all time player alongside fowler.

I really hope this isn't the end..doesn't look good though..

Nailz

chopperbyrne wrote: »

I meant in reference to comparing him to a drugged up moron like Shaun Ryder.

:eek: How dare you! :mad: He was a genius! So was Ronaldo, is that so hard to understand? Okay, Ian Curtis???

Sqaull20

chopperbyrne wrote: »

It's not Maradona we're talking about!

Put your can down for a minute bud, for one of the best players ever

Melion

Easily the best striker of the last 30+ years. Absolutely brilliant to watch and as someone said earlier, his hat-trick against United at OT a few years ago was one of the best performances ive ever seen.

Sad if this is the end for him

Zaph

nipplenuts wrote: »

Severed tendon. A great player's career is finished

Nunu wrote: »

Severed tendon?...It says 'rupture to his kneecap ligament' on their breaking news.

In this case a severed tendon is the same thing. The patellar tendon runs from the bottom of the femur (thighbone), across the kneecap and attaches to the top of the tibia (shinbone). It secures the kneecap in place and gives range of motion to the lower half of the leg. A rupture of the patellar tendon severs the tendon, generally just below the knee, causing the kneecap to retract up towards the thigh and making movement of the lower leg impossible - it can't be either bent or lifted. Surgery is required to rebuild the tendon, sometimes using metal wires. And no, I'm not a doctor, I've had this injury 5 times myself (don't ask!) so I really do sympathise with the guy.

eirebhoy

Pity he never won more trophies with his clubs but still not bad.


* Olympic Games: 1996 (3rd Place)
* Copa América: 1997, 1999
* Confederations Cup: 1997
* FIFA World Cup: 1994, 2002

* Brazilian Cup:1993
* Dutch Cup: 1996
* Spanish Super Cup: 1996
* Cup Winners' Cup: 1997
* UEFA Cup: 1998
* World Club Championships: 2002
* La Liga: 2002/2003

All-Time World Cup Goalscorer
World Cup Golden Ball (Best player): 1998
World Cup Silver Ball: 2002
World Cup Golden Boot (Top scorer): 2002
World Cup Bronze Boot: 2006

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1997, 2002
UEFA Most Valuable Player: 1998
European Golden Boot: 1997
Copa América Top Scorer: 1999
Spanish League Top Scorer: 1996-1997, 2003-2004
Dutch League Top Scorer: 1994-1995

chopperbyrne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJWp_1kVM7g

Clip that includes his hat-trick at Old Trafford.

walshki

It really hits home now what could have been. In 1996 to 1998 he was genuinely set up to be the greatest player of all time. He still managed some amazing things but its sad we didn't get to see him playing at that level for 50 games a season in all comps every year. He didn't even average 30 games a season over his career.

Sqaull20

My favourite

Best performance I have ever seen against such opposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KPl0upbzGw&feature=related

Sqaull20

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Mike Tyson, could you not pick someone whose name isn't tarnished?!!

Muhammad Ali maybe?

Hell even Rocky Balboa will do!

Highlights from his amazing season at Barcelona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXOMPo7cEI

Amazing thing was EVERY game he played in was like that during that season....

Dave!

chopperbyrne wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJWp_1kVM7g

Clip that includes his hat-trick at Old Trafford.

2:20 = :eek:

Nunu

Zaph wrote: »

In this case a severed tendon is the same thing. The patellar tendon runs from the bottom of the femur (thighbone), across the kneecap and attaches to the top of the tibia (shinbone). It secures the kneecap in place and gives range of motion to the lower half of the leg. A rupture of the patellar tendon severs the tendon, generally just below the knee, causing the kneecap to retract up towards the thigh and making movement of the lower leg impossible - it can't be either bent or lifted. Surgery is required to rebuild the tendon, sometimes using metal wires. And no, I'm not a doctor, I've had this injury 5 times myself (don't ask!) so I really do sympathise with the guy.

Oh, right.

I thought they be different injuries because in my anatomy studies I was taught that tendons and ligaments are different things....tendons connect bone to muscle / ligaments connect bone to bone.

estebancambias

No.:(

Zaph

Nunu wrote: »

Oh, right.

I thought they be different injuries because in my anatomy studies I was taught that tendons and ligaments are different things....tendons connect bone to muscle / ligaments connect bone to bone.

You're right, but I think the patellar tendon is an extension of the quadricep muscle in the thigh. It's not actually attached to the femur, it just starts at the bottom of it.

Nunu

Some quotes post match:

ADRIANO GALLIANI:

"Unfortunately it was not a good night due to Ronaldo's injury. Ronie has now been brought to the Galeazzi hospital in Milan and for the moment they have found a serious problem to his kneecap ligament. As soon as it happened I came off the stands to go down to the dressing room and check on his condition. He felt a lot of pain, but now we only have to stay calm and wait without drawing any quick conclusions. When Ronie cried, I hugged him, the tears fell on me too, but I told him we would stay close to him. Milan have already shown in the past they don't abandon players who suffer injuries, and the same will go for Ronaldo. Tonight Ronie allowed us to get a point with the penalty, but we are concerned about his incident. At the moment they are visiting him, but the complete diagnosis cannot be made at once, we'll have to wait the next few days. Ronie went on the pitch with the desire to help the team, in the last few days as soon as he got better he made himself available, and he also contributed to tonight's result which at the end of the season might turn out to be important for the table. Now we must stay close to him.
As soon as Ronie was taken off on a stretcher, I immediately called president Berlusconi, who asked me to keep him informed. We'll wait for the next few days to get a definitive diagnosis and let's hope he doesn't need an operation, but if it's necessary he will get operated.

Concerning the match, we got a draw, a result we can accept considering we are playing every three days, but at least now we have played as many games as everyone else. We only need one point to reach Fiorentina in fourth place, and if we finish level at the end of the season our better head-to-head record would favor us. Now we have sixteen matches to recuperate this point."

CARLO ANCELOTTI:

"We're all very sad and worried about what happened to Ronaldo, I don't want to say his career is over because only time can put the word end to his career. From our part, we can only stay close to him. His team mates left the stadium quickly to reach the hospital to check on his condition, I think it's the right way to stay close to a player who's suffering. Being close to him can help him cope at such a delicate moment of his career.
On Sunday he hadn't played very well, but yesterday in training he did well, he seemed more sharp, more reactive, more ready. At the start I hadn't evaluated the possibility of bringing him on the bench, then I changed my mind because I saw him doing well and he did well once he came in.
Too bad, because Ronie wanted to do well, he's always worked with seriousness, and availability. He's always shown great professionalism. Ronie always behaved very well and always tried to give his contribution to Milan, that's why he doesn't deserve some of the things that have been written and said about him."

BONERA:

"You could immediately see it was something serious, Ronie's expression was the same as when he got injured in Rome. Let's hope for the best, but I'm afraid it's serious. We are very disappointed, he's a golden lad, let's hope he still wants to react and rise again. Ronie is an important player who always makes decisive moves. From Milanello sometimes stories come out about him which are strange and untrue. He's always made himself available to the team, he's a great professional."

KALAC:

"I didn't even see who had fallen to the ground, but then I understood. I'm very sad, Ronie is a great person, he doesn't deserve this. It's hard to say what will happen now, when you break something in your knee it's very serious."

KALADZE:

"We are all very sad for Ronie, now we must all stay close to him. From the pitch you could see it was very serious. Too bad, when he jumped he felt this pain, it was really an unfortunate situation."

iregk

Shocking news alright. Missed the game last night so only got the news this morning. Devastated.

Xavi6

Off to Classic Brazil with him unfortunately.

Mr Alan

Massive shame.

Mr. Presentable

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb14b.html

missingtime

My favourite player ever.

Really sorry to see this happen.

Loomis

Completely devastated for him. Bad enough having a career threatening injury once and coming back from it. This is horrible. He's easily in the top 5 players ever for me. Without his bad injury just imagine what he could have done in the game
:(

Bubs101

Great player but I always felt he treated Inter, and particularly Moratti, terribly when they spent millions nursing him back to health and his old self and he demanded a move to Real. Poor form

eirebhoy

Sqaull20 wrote: »

My favourite

Best performance I have ever seen against such opposition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KPl0upbzGw&feature=related

Ronaldo vs Lazio in UEFA Cup final:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5R7clxNfDI

scruff321

terrible thing to happen to a legend of the game

Racing Flat

I was in Brazil a few years ago when Ronaldinho was in his prime. Not speaking the language, speaking about the footballers was my only means of some form of communication. It was a bit confusing initially as they use the names Ronaldo and Ronaldinho interchangeably. If I mentioned either name, they would ask if I meant Ronaldo Phenomenon or Ronaldo Gaucho. when I imitated a fat person (sorry Ronny, know it's not true;)) this would clear it up as they would say 'Aah, Ronaldo Phenomenon'. So I wondered what 'Gaucho' must mean and it's simply 'from the South'. That shows how good people think he was and the affection he was held in, past his best he's known as 'Ronaldo the phenomenon' while Ronaldinho at his best was referred to as 'Ronaldo from the South'....
Bit Robbie Fowler / Michael Owen esque. Love the way it fcuks Owen off so much that the fans love Fowler.

ShiverinEskimo

I'll always remember the night he played United in the champ's league and got his hat-trick - amazing.
The United fans gave a standing ovation that night when he was subsituted. Adn rightly so - he was simply untouchable.

EDIT> Just realised I'm talking like he is dead.

monkey9

Following the heartbreaking injury of Ronaldo last night, it looks increasingly likely that we have now witnessed the end of one of the greatest players of all time. Carlo Garganese asks how El Fenomeno should be remembered. The way Goal.com has been flooded with messages of support
for Ronaldo following the news that he had ruptured the tendon in his left knee, and could well have played his last game, is second only to the death of Antonio Puerta last year.

The kind-hearted posts and the sheer number of comments illustrate, putting Goal.com aside, why Ronaldo will go down as one of the legends of the game.

Of course it is never nice to write off a player, especially a champion of the people such as Ronnie, and I more than anyone would love to see the great man return to grace Serie A and Champions League playing fields once again.

However all logic points to the likelihood that this will not happen. The truth is that the 31-year-old's body is just too unstable and really everyone knows, despite the fact that Milan say they will stand by him, that this is the end.

So how will Ronaldo be remembered?

Well I don't want to sit here and bore you with things that are already known, such as goal statistics, awards won and records held.

The truth is that Ronaldo will go down as one of, if not the best, forward of all time. He is up there with the likes of Eusebio, Marco van Basten, Roberto Baggio and is certainly not out of place when mentioned in the same breath as Pele, or even Maradona.

Unfortunately for Ronaldo, he perhaps lost his opportunity to prove that he was the greatest due to the series of horrific injuries he sustained during his career.

He lost the best part of three years in between 1999 and 2002 due to two ruptured tendons in his right knee, the same injury he picked up last night, only in the other leg.

Since 2002 he has been continually hounded by fitness and weight problems, and niggles, and one only has to look at the number of times he has featured for Milan since signing for them 13 months ago to realise how this has interfered with his football.

In total Ronaldo has probably lost half of his career to injuries, yet despite this he has still always been recognised as world class. In 2002, as mentioned above he had not played for the best part of three years, yet he still managed to finish that year's World Cup as top-scorer and lead Brazil to glory with both goals in the final.

Without these serious injuries, one can only imagine how good Ronaldo could
have been.

In his prime, in the years 1996-99, probably only Maradona could boast that explosive ability to take on players and win a match individually by himself.

Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro has made many world-class strikers look like Sunday League pub players over the years, however even he admitted that when he played against Ronaldo at his peak, he could only pray."

As well as the football side of things, Ronaldo will also be remembered as a genuinely nice and humble person.

El Fenomeno received huge criticism for playing for two sets of rivals (Barcelona & Real Madrid and Inter & Milan) yet he kept a dignified silence, even when provoked over weight, fitness and motivational issues.

Having been the best in the world for so long, and won almost everything, he hardly shows off either, particularly if you compare it to those who have done little and make big claims these days.

Rarely has football seen such a grandiose person.

Is this the end of Ronaldo's career? How do you believe that he will be remembered? Please leave your tributes and share your best memories of El Fenomeno.

Carlo Garagnese