10 – Ronaldo Nazario: A Football Phenomenon Was Born! Stories, History, Facts, Cases and “Stories”.

10 – Ronaldo Nazario: A Football Phenomenon Was Born!

Stories, History, Facts, Cases and “Stories”.

In 1991, returning from my time in Arab football, in the United Arab Emirates, where I worked for 6 and a half years, I received an invitation to return to the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation), where I had worked for a year directing all categories before going abroad. The call came from Master Américo Faria, who was the Technical Director of the Main National Team and of all Categories, to direct the Brazilian Under-17 Football Team, with the CBF, Ernesto Paulo in the Under-20 (later Pre-Olympic) and Falcão in the Main Team.

We had moved from the island to Ipanema, and we started the work in January of the same year of ’91, already very close to the South American of the category, in Paraguay, whose competition qualified for the World Cup in Italy. Competition for players born on or after August 1, 1974. When we arrived there was already a pre-selection made by Mr. Antoninho, Technician and Technical Observer, a good clinical eye, experienced and who traveled all over Brazil to discover values, having made great discoveries. Ronaldo wasn’t on the list, too young.

Once the Technical Commission was assembled with Professor Jairo Leal as Assistant, Professor João Carlos in Physical Preparation and Junior Reis as Goalkeeper Coach, we immediately started the work, trying to gather information from Antoninho, the Clubs, the known Scouts, Friends and newspapers from all over Brazil, where we discovered Wamberto do Maranhão.

The Under-17 Championship took place in January, as always, in Rio de Janeiro (for those born on January 1, 73, so some players were not old enough for our national team). There were 4 (four) Clubs in each of the 16 Brackets distributed throughout the State, from where the group winners came out for the following Phases until the Final. We asked all the Members of the C.T. to go to certain Groups, including Doctor, Masseur and Wardrobe, because only the first ones were still in the competition, and could no longer be observed (as happened with Jardel, from Ferroviário-CE, approved by Prof. João Carlos, but out of age), but that will be another story.

Some Brazilian clubs did not participate, Brazil of continental dimensions, and Gênio has no place to be born (Três Corações, Pau Grande-Magé) and the time was short due to the proximity of the competition.

Living in Ipanema, children enrolled in the School and in the Beach Schools (Soccer and Volleyball) that had as one of the Coaches Professor Luiz Henrique Mattos, excellent and with a good clinical eye, who knew the intricacies of Indoor Soccer as well. When possible I went to watch my children’s training sessions and games, and on one of those days talking to Luiz Henrique, he told me that in São Cristóvão there was a very good striker, differentiated, phenomenal for his age, so it was already in Futsal. He also played in the Infantil, for players born in 1976. He also spoke of a right-back. I went to see a game and the youngster showed himself, really very good, out of the curve, but being born in 76 and the competition asking for 74, we chose to leave him for the next Under 17 competition, the one in 1993), more mature, because he would be within the age.

We continued our preparation, we were South American champions in Paraguay and qualified for the World Cup in Italy, where we lost to Ghana in the Round of 16. Meow…

Then we were promoted to the U-20 National Team for the ’93 World Cup in Australia, for those born from 1st. of August 73), in place of Ernesto Paulo who had moved up to the Pre-Olympics, being appointed the Coach, Professor, Master and Doctor Humberto Rêdes for the new Under 17. The Coach was returning from a successful stint in the Middle East, I think in Qatar.

We made a report of the work done, including clubs and players to be observed if we continued in that category. Included the São Cristóvão, the Cradle of the Phenomenon.

‘At the time there was a company that ran São Cristóvão’s football, investing a good amount that improved the level in all categories, and the return came in the acquisition of part or all of the federative rights of the players of the Professional, Juniors and some Infantis (one of them was Ronaldo Nazario, who knows why, maybe I know…).

There are many versions (common in football) for events like this, the emergence of an idol, but that’s how I remember it, and I apologize in advance if the one only hits me or if I get it wrong.

Subsequently, Ronaldo was selected, precisely, by the Coach of the Under-17, Master Humberto Rêdes (excellent Coach), former Player of the most golden phase of Botafogo, good clinical and competent eye. In the South American, the team was excellent, there was Ronaldo, who was the top scorer of the competition, but unfortunately, he did not qualify for the World Cup, because in the last round anything could happen to the competitors and the worst happened for Brazil, being out of the classification zone.

There being Cruzeiro players in the same national team, they noticed the talent of the young Ronaldo and signed him, paying a good amount for half of the rights over the player to São Cristóvão\Empresa, initial holder of all the rights. The amount was already higher than all the investment made. At Raposa, a power in Brazilian Football, the Coach of the Main Category was the excellent Carlos Alberto Silva, who at a certain point, ‘at the time, was without a striker available to play, he knew and did not see greater talents in the strikers of the Juniors, he took the one of the Juvenil, himself, Ronaldo! Ronaldinho: 1 training session, 1 goal – 1 game, 1 goal – 50 games, 50 goals. They say more than King Pelé who scored 49 goals in the first 50 games.

From there to his going to the Brazilian World Champion National Team in 94 (Tetra) was a step, he was very young, he did not play in the World Cup, but he gained maturity early and the Title of Champion, after 24 years of fasting. A title that many great stars in Brazil and the world have never achieved.

He became a Phenomenon, Ronaldo Phenomenon, going to play in the Netherlands, selling the total of the federative rights for a grandiose amount compared to the initial one, serving to develop even more physically and technically in that good football, it looked like he had an extra gear, a fifth gear or a turbo, and in front of the goal, coolness and surgical precision. He evolved and built a beautiful and victorious career, an idol wherever he went, world renown. Affectionately called Ronaldinho Phenomenon, exuding sympathy and joy, charismatic, he had great importance in the conquest of his Second World Championship, the dreamed Brazilian Tetra in 2002, an important part of the Felipão Family, almost 10 years after his debut in the National Team.

I remember important people in the trajectory, as an external observer, “outsider”, such as Madeira (former Player, Scout and Coach of São Cristóvão), Jairzinho “O Furacão”, Jairo Leal, Professor Luiz Henrique Mattos (I consider it of fundamental importance in the emergence of Ronaldo, which maybe not even he knows, because almost no one would watch the São Cri Cri Youth Categories at the time), Mestre Humberto Rêdes for having provided for the first time the stamp of the National Team in his C.V., without which he might not have gone to Cruzeiro, but the “if” does not exist… Maktub – it was written, if it wasn’t, now it is). I still remember mentioning Mestres Parreira and Zagallo for their courage to take such a young player to a World Cup when the risk of going to 28 years old without winning the title was at stake, if the one in the USA didn’t come. I still realize the importance of the Champion – that’s how he treated everyone – of Reinaldo Pitta who invested in São Cristóvão to change its level, and in Ronaldinho, being a good Businessman and advisor in early and important phases of training, I myself saw a few times Ronaldo, his Parents and Brother in Reinaldo’s Office in the City Center.

Ronaldo Phenomenon: one of the Geniuses I saw (and recorded in my humble book, Football Art and Craft, from the year 2000).

God bless you, Ronaldo, to discover other talents and change other lives. The story is yours, this story is for everyone (may it serve as a lesson), as far as I can see and remember.

P.S. – Today is my Son Julio’s Birthday! Happy Birthday, Julio (sixth os the Name Julio Cesar Leal)