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The tragedy of injuries
Posted: Tuesday April 18, 2000 11:44 AM
Unless you are a fan of Jeffrey Dahmer or Pol Pot, odds are you felt at least a twinge of compassion last week when Ronaldo collapsed in a crumpled heap just seven minutes into his long-awaited comeback. The Inter Milan center forward crashed to the ground during the Italian Cup Final against Lazio, re-injuring his knee and jeopardizing his future in the game. The outpouring of sympathy was immediate and, for once, you got the feeling it was heart-felt. The following morning, I was at Silverstone, covering testing for the British Grand Prix. When we broke the news to Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher, a guy whose sole link with Ronaldo is that he shares the same income tax bracket, he stopped discussing gearboxes and motor oil and seemed visibly shocked. He let out two obscenities, one in German, one in English. His eyes widened, his voice became pleading. "No, no it can't be," he stuttered. "Are you sure? It's not fair, he just came back..." If you cut through the hype, the sponsors, the pounding backbeat of the publicity-driven carnival which follows him everywhere, Ronaldo is a genuine, bright, 23-year-old kid. It was much the same story around the world. Anybody who had even the most cursory familiarity with the game was stunned. There was something grossly unfair about a man who in the space of a week experiences extreme joy (the birth of his son, Ronald) and utter dejection. The rumor mill immediately went into overdrive. Would he be back? Would he ever be the same again? Others tried to point fingers. Some blamed Inter for rushing his return. Some blamed Brazilian doctors for allegedly forcing him to play through the pain at France 98, thereby doing irreparable damage to his knee. There is little evidence to support either accusation. And the most hokey theory, put forth by some members of the media, is even more unfounded. They claim that Ronaldo has gotten bigger and heavier over the past five years and that his playing style simply cannot sustain his new body. This speculation is all junk. The reality is that it is easy to forget that a soccer player's career can be cut short at any time. One moment you're a Porsche-driving, Armani-wearing twentysomething millionaire. The next you're a cripple with a crate full of newspaper clippings, the odd trophy and a bunch of friends who chase soccer balls for a living. And you've got to figure out how you're going to make ends meet for the next fifty years. Remember that for every Ronaldo who probably has earned enough to retire at age 23 and still live comfortably, there are hundreds whose careers are cut short and find themselves with a family to support and no visible means to do so. One Italian footballer was forced to retire a few years ago in his mid-twenties. He asked not to be identified, because he doesn't want pity. "I played in Serie A most of my career and, I'm not going to lie, I lived very well," he says. "I signed two professional contracts. The first paid me around US$ 110,000 a year for four years. The second was worth US$350,000. I got injured in the second year of that deal. The final season was voided, but I received an insurance payment of US$ 170,000." Do the math. His lifetime gross earnings, including the insurance payoff, total around US$ 1.31 million. "My father was an assembly line worker, my mother a teacher," he says. "They taught me the importance of saving money, so I'm better off than I would have been otherwise. I have savings of around US$ 600,000. But I'm unemployed, and so is my wife. I have three kids. I left school when I was sixteen, like many, if not most, Italian footballers. I have no skills, other than playing soccer." "I tried to get a job in coaching kids, but have had no luck so far," he adds. "I tried to get into the media, but nobody is interested in what an average former Serie A player has to say. My brother-in-law works in a factory which makes cardboard boxes. Maybe next year he can get me a job..." This isn't a sob story. This is reality. "I know I am luckier than most," he explains. "I am not complaining, I'm just saying it's the nature of the game. Still, if it hadn't been for one bad injury, I would still be playing and I would probably retire as a millionaire in five years time. My children's lives would have been totally different, as would mine. I just want people to know that there are tens of thousands of players who are worse off than me. We get paid a lot, but our careers are short, and in cases such as mine, even shorter." Ronaldo is desperately unlucky and it's only fair that we afford him our compassion. But this is also a good time to spare a thought for others who experienced career-ending injuries and are now relegated to obscurity, with genuine financial difficulties. If Ronaldo doesn't return, it will be a big loss for the game. But hopefully, he will still have the intelligence, charisma and means to make his mark off the pitch, whether it be as a spokesman for the needs of children (he is actively involved in a number of charities) or simply, but just as importantly, as a good father to Ronald and a loving husband to Milene. In that sense, he is lucky, for there is more to him than just a soccer player. EXTRA TIME: We live in a world dominated by big clubs, big sponsors and big money, so it's refreshing to see a team like Calais reaching the final of the French Cup. The amateur club has a staff of two, chief executive Claude Thiriot and manager Ladislas Lozano, and still managed to beat Bordeaux (the current French champion) 3-1 after extra time in semifinals. The win wasn't without drama, as Lozano had a mild heart attack in the post-match celebrations (don't worry, he'll be back to work for the final on May 7 against Nantes). Calais' success shows that miracles do happen and it's a fair bet only die-hard Nantes supporters will be rooting against it in the final.
London-based Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com. To submit questions or comments to Gabriele Marcotti, click here.
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