Ronaldo to announce retirement
Reuters - Sunday 13 February 2011, 23:07
RIO DE JANEIRO - Former Brazil striker
Ronaldo will announce his retirement from football on Monday, he
told a Brazilian newspaper on Sunday.
The 34-year-old three-times world player of the year has a
contract with Corinthians until the end of 2011 but is bringing
his retirement forward after the team's shock early elimination
from the Libertadores Cup and violent protests from fans.
Ronaldo told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper's website
his regular injury problems were one of his
main reasons for quitting now.
"I can't take it any more," Ronaldo said. "I wanted to carry
on, but I can't. I plan a move (in a game) but I cannot execute
as I wish. The time is up. But it was nice, dammit."
Ronaldo, who will make his announcement in a news conference
at the Corinthians training ground on Monday, is ending a
brilliant career in which he scored more than 400 goals
including a record 15 at World Cups.
The striker, an unused squad member when Brazil won the
World Cup in 1994 and their top scorer when they won their
record fifth title in 2002, is expected to remain at the club in
an administrative role.
Ronaldo, who left Brazil's Cruzeiro for PSV Eindhoven at the
age of 18 and played for both Milan clubs, Barcelona and Real
Madrid, helped Corinthians win the Copa Brasil and Paulista (Sao
Paulo) state championship last year.
But Corinthians disappointed in the two big competitions of
2010, their centenary year, failing to get past the round of 16
of the Libertadores cup or win the Brazilian championship.
Ronaldo missed many matches through injury and fans began to
show their irritation.
This came to a head after Corinthians lost 2-0 away to
Deportes Tolima of Colombia 10 days ago in the second leg of
their Libertadores Cup preliminary round tie having drawn 0-0 at
home. They were eliminated from the competition.