Fourteen years after first talking about ending his career â following BrazilâÂÂs 1994 World Cup title â Romário finally announced heâÂÂs done with football at the launch of his 1,000 goals DVD project in Rio de Janeiro this week.
The Noise from Brazil has already pondered what life would be like without the Shorty, but we'll once again pay tribute to the diminutive genius, the biggest menace a defender could face inside the box.
This time, though, weâÂÂll let Romário do the talking.
Chosen by himself, here are the 11 top goals of the aceâÂÂs career. (Note that the goal chosen this week by the fans in the El Mundo Deportivo poll as BarcelonaâÂÂs all-time best is only the 6th on RomárioâÂÂs list).
Thanks again, Shorty!
In retirement, football wonâÂÂt give Romário any more headaches â he resigned, remember, from his player/coach position at Vasco because of pain-in-the-ass directors bothering him.
But the same canâÂÂt be said about his friends.
Earlier this week while partying at a nightclub in Rio, he lent the keys to his Ferrari F-430 to a pal named Beto. Forty minutes later, at 6am, he received a call from his buddy, crying. Below is the result.
As he always did on the pitch, Romário kept a cool head and made fun of the situation. âÂÂThat was fine. Beto is like a brother, I wonâÂÂt charge him a cent.
"But from now on IâÂÂll only lend him my old VW Beetle.âÂÂ
