Ronaldo seeks respite, rest not pity

“I have no doubt I will be back to play at my level, on the Brazilian National team. This doesn’t worry me.”

His right knee, the tendon rebuilt barely six weeks ago by French surgeon Geard Saillant, no longer hurts. The latest battery of exams — MRI, ultrasound and X-rays — showed it was healing nicely.

“It’s normal that there was all type of speculation about my injury,” he said. “My conscience is clear that the best was done”.

“But was it good enough?” is the question that has tormented Brazilian fans since April 12, when Inter faced Lazio in an Italian Cup match that was to mark Ronaldo’s return after four months of rehabilitation from knee surgery.

Instead, just seven minutes into the match, he crumpled untouched to the turf, screaming and clutching his knee, the newly repaired tendon snapped like a broken rubber band.

“I felt pain, pain, pain — more than pain, the despair that it was happening again,” Ronaldo recalled. “That first week I was very bad psychologically, wondering if I or someone else had made a mistake”.

Sessions with a psychologist helped Ronaldo through the black days and prepared for the eight-month rehabilitation programme. The first three months are basically rest, and he plans to spend them in Brazil with his wife, Milene, and Ronald, his son of nearly three months.

He will make monthly check-ups in Paris with Dr Saillant, who is expected to come to South America in August.

Ronaldo admits he misses the days when he was the undisputed owner of the Brazilian team’s No 9 jersey, especially now as Brazil prepare to face Peru in a qualifying game for the 2002 World Cup.

“I miss the ambience of the National team,” he said.“That’s my element, when we were talking about performance and not about injuries”.

Still, he counts his blessings. Far from the pitch, he has a chance to be a more active father for Ronald.

“That’s difficult in the life of a football player, because we practice and travel so much,” he said. “Thanks to my injury, I can enjoy my son”.

He is also making plans in his other role as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.

“I intend to do a lot as soon as I can walk a little better,” he said. “We are setting up a trip, may be to Africa, but we will do lots of things in Brazil too”.

Meanwhile, he said, all he needs is rest and a respite from reporters — certainly not pity.

“No one should feel sorry for me. These things happen in soccer,” he said. “Great players always have difficult moments. The proof that they are great is in overcoming them.”