Former Barcelona and Real Madrid player, Brazilian striker Ronaldo (R9) Luís Nazário de Lima, has made a scathing statement about the Catalans and their management style. According to the 1997 and 2002 Ballon d’Or winner, the Madrid rivals do not know how to treat players.
Currently under pressure from Real Valladolid supporters, the club he owns and has been managing since September 2018, Ronaldo has found a brief moment of respite in Brazil. Back on the land of his ancestors, the former football icon of the 1990s and 2000s visited Romário, a former Brazilian legend who hosts his podcast. In this interview, the ex-Real Madrid marksman made several revelations, including naming the worst player he ever played with. He then went on to express his resentment towards the Catalan board, remaining one of the few players to have played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Ronaldo’s sharp words about Barça
Indeed, in the interview with Romário, Ronaldo R9 lamented how he left Barça in 1997, just one year after arriving in Spain. “They have had a major management problem for a long time,” said the now 48-year-old, who believes that the Catalan board has an issue with Brazilian players, citing the examples of Ronaldinho, Neymar, and others.
Speaking about his own case, Ronaldo Nazário revealed that after having a “spectacular” season (47 goals in 49 matches with Barça), he had agreed to renew his contract with the club’s management. But, against all expectations, just “five days later”, they told him that it was no longer possible for him to continue, and they eventually transferred him to Inter Milan. For the man who returned to Spain, specifically to Madrid, five years later to play alongside Zidane—whom he considers his best club teammate—”It was a punch in the stomach. I loved the city.”
Ronaldo is truly a Madridista
“Rivaldo left fighting. Ronaldinho left fighting. Neymar left fighting (…) Look at the history Barcelona has built with so many successful Brazilians, but in the end, the relationship deteriorated and ended very badly,” he added in comments relayed by Marca. Today, happy to be called a Madridista rather than a Catalan due to his five years at the club (2002-2007, 177 matches for 104 goals), the respect he received, and the way he was treated, Ronaldo Nazário refuses to criticise Joan Laporta too harshly.
When Romário pressed him on whether there was currently poor management at Barcelona, Ronaldo R9 simply stated that in certain “key moments,” the club had made decisions that were unexpected by most fans. It must be said that the former striker, who remains a global football reference, will surely stir reactions at Barça, where there are still inconsistencies in the club’s management. Having himself become a club president, one can understand the two-time World Cup winner’s (1994 and 2002) scepticism when discussing Barça’s current problems.
In any case, Real Madrid, under Florentino Pérez, continues to dominate world football with flawless management, to the great delight of Madridistas everywhere.
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