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Ronaldo fitness drama remains mystery
YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) -- The most dramatic story of the 1998 World Cup final happened not on the pitch but in the changing rooms -- and a was a chaotic nightmare for the massed media trying to report it. Two hours before Brazil were to take on France in the Stade de France, rumours began to circulate around the press stands that Ronaldo was not in the Brazilian team. It seemed preposterous that the striker would not be involved as Brazil's hopes of a fifth title sat squarely on his shoulders. But sure enough, as the army of young volunteers later swarmed into the stands armed with copies of the team sheets, Ronaldo's name was missing. More than 2,000 journalists were suddenly abuzz with the stunning news and immediately set about trying to discover its cause. Editors around the world phoned their reporters again to double-check the news they had been given, so hard was it to believe. Within minutes, however, the story took another turn as the volunteers returned to reclaim the team sheets, saying they had been issued in error and replacements would soon follow. PRINTING ERROR The hapless helpers were besieged by journalists demanding to know what was going on, but clouded the waters still further by explaining that the problem was a simple printing error. Again the phone lines were hot as reporters screamed at to their editors "hold those teams" before surrounding the Brazilian section hoping to get some concrete news. Five minutes later new team sheets were issued and Ronaldo was in, Edmundo dropping to the bench, and pandemonium ensued. The unlikely explanation for the change was that the sport's leading striker had suffered a stomach upset which initially ruled him out but that after feeling better he decided he could take part. He duly played but looked out of sorts and lethargic as France completed a comprehensive 3-0 victory to lift the trophy for the first time. Afterwards it emerged that Ronaldo had suffered some sort of convulsive fit during the afternoon and was passed fit to play only after undergoing late medical checks. The player himself and the Brazilian management initially remained vague about the exact details of what went on and it was not long before the conspiracy theories emerged. Chief among them was that American sportswear company Nike, who had a 370 million dollar contract with the Brazilian team and a separate deal with Ronaldo, were appalled at the idea of their prize asset missing such a high profile match and insisted that he played. CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY The Brazilian federation, coach Mario Zagallo, Nike and Ronaldo all denied the accusation but such was its strength that they were forced to testify on the matter in front of a Brazilian Congressional inquiry. Explaining the timetable of events, Ronaldo said he had awoken from an afternoon nap to find a group of concerned players around his bed and team doctors told him he had suffered convulsive fits and would not be able to play. Edmundo, known as "The Animal" began psyching himself up for he biggest night of his career, only to be stood down after Ronaldo insisted on taking the tests to prove he was fit to play. Four years on Ronaldo is on the eve of another final, but the story will not go away. He described the speculation that Nike had pressurised him to play as "absurd" but steadfastly refused to give precise details of his personal contract with the company. Earlier this year he was forced to address the issue again, denying Brazilian newspaper claims that his fit had been caused by a succession of pain-killing injections administered throughout the tournament. "Winning and losing is just part of the game, I don't see the need to create all this mystery and intrigue just because we lost," Ronaldo told last year's inquiry. Nevertheless, come Sunday evening there will be a little extra frisson around the media section when the final team sheets are handed out.
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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