ITALY/FILE: SOCCER - Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo discusses his future after moving to AC Milan

Record ID: 184115

  • Title: ITALY/FILE: SOCCER - Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo discusses his future after moving to AC Milan
  • Date: 3rd February 2007
  • Summary: TERESOPOLIS, BRAZIL (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RONALDO TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 18th February 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3T50E8I8H411N3PAJ58AEYNYS
  • Story Text: Brazilian football star Ronaldo talks about his future after moving to AC Milan and expresses his desire to play again for the Brazilian national team. Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, who was signed by AC Milan from Real Madrid this week, said Wednesday (January 31) said his story isn't over and that he would like to be play for Brazil again.
    Ronaldo scored 104 goals for Real since joining them in August 2002. He was the club's leading scorer in each of his four previous seasons in Spain but had limited opportunities to shine following knee surgery after the World Cup last year, leading Coach Fabio Capello to play Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy up front.
    When asked why he wasn't playing consistently, Ronaldo said he thought Capello had lost confidence in him.
    "I don't know exactly but the coach, as I see it, didn't have confidence in me and didn't want me to play," the three-time world's best player told TV Globo.
    Capello is not the only coach to be skeptical of Ronaldo lately. The star has still not been picked by Brazil since Dunga replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira as coach following the tournament.
    Despite this, Ronaldo expressed his desire to earn a spot on the national team.
    "Getting back to the national team is still in my plans and I want to do it on merit," he said from Milan.
    Ronaldo, who led Brazil to World Cup victory in 2002 and holds the record for goals scored in World Cup tournaments with 15, has signed an 18-month contract with Milan, who paid 7.5 million euros ($9.7 million) for him.
    Ronaldo praised Milan and said the fans were excited about his arrival.
    "Milan is a fantastic club and the fans are very enthusiastic about my arrival," he said.
    Even though the thirty-year-old striker was criticized in the 2006 World Cup for being uninspired and overweight, he said his story is not over.
    "The story isn't over. The story goes on. Once again, as always in my life, I'm going to bounce back and hopefully score lots of goals," he said.
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