Thursday, 4 December 2008
When Robinho this week urged that, if he were in Mark Hughes' position, he would sign Ronaldo for Manchester City, it suggested he had not seen his compatriot recently.
To judge from Ronaldo's most recent outing, a 23-minute cameo in a charity match in Morocco last month, the once-lithe World Cup winner possesses a physique more associated with former Portsmouth and Newcastle striker Micky Quinn.
It is not the pies that are the problem, though. Ronaldo has in the past shown a Paul Gascoigne-like ability to lose weight rapidly if needed. The reason the three-time World Footballer of the Year is currently reduced to playing charity matches for his football fix is his knees.
He is just still 32 - but even within the Brazilian Football Federation there are whispers he may be a year or two older.
It is not just the 17 years and more than 550 senior matches playing at the sharp end of the professional game which have weakened his knees. It is the ligament and tendon injuries, two to his right knee, one to his left.
Before City, or anyone else, takes a chance on Ronaldo he has to convince them, and himself, that his knees are strong enough
to support him through both the necessary training to get match-fit, and the cut, thrust and tackling of combat.
Bobby Robson believed Ronaldo had the gifts to be the best the game had ever seen when he signed him from PSV for Barcelona, but feared injury would prevent him reaching such a height.
It was a prescient judgement. For a while Ronaldo was the best in the world but those knees let him down. He spent three of his five years at Inter recuperating from injury, a period interspersed with an unsuccessful seven-minute comeback. He got fit in time to score the winning goals in the 2002 World Cup final, which helped banish the nightmare of his mysterious appearance in the 1998 final, then rewarded Inter for their patience him by departing for Real Madrid.
By now Ronaldo had begun to put on weight. His manager at São Cristóvão once said: "When we had breakfast at the club, every player was given half a loaf of bread and cheese. When we asked if anybody wanted seconds, Ronaldo was always the first to stick his hand up, and also for thirds... I don't know where he used to put it all.”
Superstar footballer or not Il Fenomeno discovered, like ordinary mortals, than once you are heading towards 30 years of age it becomes apparent where you 'put it all'. His girth prompted a mixed relationship with the Real support who felt Ronaldo frequently failed to pull his excessive weight. However, he could still be sensational. Anyone who saw Ronaldo's performance in the fabled
Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford, when the United fans applauded their conqueror off the pitch, and a watching Roman Abramovich decided this football lark looked attractive, will not forget it.
Robson, who described him as 'a brilliant boy to work with' expressed concern early on about the quality of advice he received. Steve McManaman, who played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid also speaks highly of him as a person while recognizing that his lifestyle is not ideal for an athlete. 'Ronie's house is always crazy,” McManaman said while at Real, “you'll walk in there will be people he's sort of collected - everybody from judges and doctors to street musicians.” He goes on to describes lines of women sunbathing, tortoises falling into the pool and Ronaldo working the decks in his 'party room'.
What with the injuries and the off-field activities Ronaldo never fulfilled the potential Robson envisaged. Nevertheless his CV includes almost every individual or team honour except for a Champions League winners' medal. Or, of course, anything from England.
Might that change? Ronaldo still recalls that night at Old Trafford fondly and was receptive to a move to Manchester City when it was mooted in September. Paris St-Germain have also been linked with him - and he does own a flat in the French capital.
Should he make a comeback, however, it is more likely to be in Rio - he has been training with Flamengo who have expressed an interest in signing him, if fit. Or he might follow in the footsteps of Pele to the United States.
Ronaldo, shown here in 2005.

Three-time soccer world player of the year Ronaldo has agreed to return home to Brazil and join Corinthians in São Paulo.

Ronaldo (born Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima), 32, is coming back from a major knee injury after rupturing a tendon in his left knee nine months ago - the third such injury in his career. In June, Italian powerhouse A.C. Milan let Ronaldo go instead of resigning him as he had reached the end of his contract. Many people thought this injury could be the end of Ronaldo's career - including Ronaldo himself.

"I don't know if I will continue to play or if I will retire," Ronaldo told Gazzetta dello Sport in November.  "I have not taken a decision yet. I am in no hurry to make a decision. I want to complete my recovery."

Apparently, that decision has been made. Ronaldo's agent, Fabiano Farah stated today, "We've reached a verbal agreement for Ronaldo to play there São Paulo)."

It is unofficially believed that Ronaldo will receive a one year contract, and the Corinthians posted a statement to their website, writing: "In the next few hours, the two sides should provide the final formalities to close the deal and set a date for the presentation of the athlete."

Ronaldo has scored 319 goals in 451 appearances over seventeen seasons with PSV Eindhoven, F.C. Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.