"I'm better, the worst is over, I have no pain anymore, and now I'm able to walk better. There's not much time before I can stop using my crutches within the established times.

It's nice to be back here at Milanello and seeing all my friends, and it's a good thing that I don't feel any pain.

For now it's early to talk about a decision, but I'm preparing for this great mission which is to get back to playing again."

Honestly, I do hope he returns to play just as he wanted.  How about you guys?
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Tuesday, March 11

Milan Official website informs that Ronaldo is back in Italy. Milan Striker Ronaldo was in Paris for 26 days of therapies after his knee injury.  Ronaldo  landed at 12.20 at Linate  and limited himself to waving to the journalists and raising his thumb. Then Ronaldo left the airport on a car together with his girlfriend Maria Beatriz, who was with him these days in France, and with Milan's manager Leonardo

Friday, February 22, 2008

Good news because RONALDO is not giving up yet!!

Just  before Ronaldo left the Pitie-Salpetrieren clinic of Paris, he answered some questions about his future in a press conference.
 
Question is how long will it take to recover.

Ronaldo commented: “Everything is still very recent, it just happened and no one expected this incident. It was a very tough blow, very tough mentally. I cannot still believe that it really happened.”

One of the first questions was directed towards his future and his return to the football world. “For the return I must still think. I still don’t know if I will continue to play. Now I only think about recovering in the best possible way. I know that it will be very tough again, but I hope to succeed.”

 “I have a lot of desire to return to play. My heart says to continue playing, but I must see how my physique responds. Lately it is giving important signals: it is very tired and has suffered a lot. If at the end of the recovery path I will be very well, then I will be back on the pitch, otherwise I will take the very tough decision to quit."

On one thing the number 9 seems optimistic: “I don’t know exactly how long this rehabilitation period will last, but surely it will be  take less time than the previous one, that of eight years ago. I will do my best to win this battle against my physique.” Ronaldo does not have a high morale, but despite this he has not lost the lucidity not even when some questions were more dangerous than others, like when they asked him if he thinks that if something specific has caused the injury: "I don't think about the causes. It happened and that's it.

I have many other things to think about now. I don’t know what to say about Milan, my contract expires in June. Milan is a home for me, I have a family there that waits for me. What annoys me is how it went…Right now it’s difficult to talk about a contract.”

Before ending the touching press conference, Ronaldo wanted to thank those who gave him a lot of affection in these last days:
 
"I thank all of my team-mates who were close to me, who have suffered with me, who sent me many messages. I also thank the President and the entire club. The people who, even though I don’t know them, made me understand that around me there is a lot of affection. I also thank my family. In these moments I can only say thanks, because without this type of support I don’t know if I would have managed.”

Saturday, Feb. 16

MILAN - 'It will be necessary a lot of energy to return to play. The determinant element will be the motivation of Ronaldo', said Eric Rolland. With regards to the recovery time, the surgeon who operated Ronie added: 'The rehabilitation takes a long time because it's a tendon. Ronaldo will not be able to run before 6 months and he will not be in reasonable condition before 9 months. We shall set up the stages. If this will not sound too binding, then everything is possible.'(Ansa)

   A Message from Brazil President Lula da Silva to Ronaldo

MILAN - A strong encouragement for Ronaldo arrived from the Brazilian president Lula da Silva who sent a letter to Ronie where he affirmed: "We are praying for you and we send you all of our support, my dear Ronaldo. You will be back on the pitch and you will be a new example of courage and perseverance. As a footballer lover, I know that you will allow the Italians and Brazilians to see you and your extraordinary actions again."

Friday, February 15

AC Milan informed that Ronaldo's surgery lasted two hours and it was technically a success the operation to his left knee which Ronaldo had to undertake yesterday.

Professor Gerard Saillant who operated Ronaldo in 2000, and that yesterday co-ordinated the equipe of Doctor Roland, spoke this way about the recovery:

"The operation took place without particular problems. The psychological element, apart from the physical one, will be importnat on the total recovery."

Leonardo, who's currently in Paris to stay close to Ronaldo, explained that the Brazilian 'had a calm night. Now he only has to rest. Yesterday he had an emotional day. Ronie knows what he has to go through and what he has already been through. I think he is ready.' Nelio Nazario, Ronaldo's father, added: 'He still has a lot to give to the football world, he will come back to play.

On the eve of Parma - Milan, regarding Ronaldo, Ancelotti declared in the press conference: 

“We remain very sorry for what happened to Ronaldo, even though following the operation that went well, we start seeing a bit of positive. However, we remain sorry, it's a bad injury. Ronaldo was not in the best condition, but if we must make the list of players who were not in the best condition, there were also Inzaghi, Serginho and others."
 
I don't think Ancelotti is to blame for letting Ronaldo play as many seem to point a "guilty finger on Ancelotti."  Clarifying this wrong idea that he force Ronaldo to play when he was not ready. Ancelotti responded:

"One thing is to be in good condition, another is to be available to play. Ronaldo was available to play. If anyone talks about players I lacked any respect to, I don't know what they are referring to. I think about it, but I continue to not understand about whom or what he is talking about. What interests me is just my rapport with Ronaldo, not written things with little attention. Following the injury, Ronaldo was very affectionate with all of us, he was almost encouraging us, that’s what matters. It’s an injury which hit all of us, not only those of Milan, but the entire football world. He has shown great sensibility and is respected by everyone.

About whether or not Ronaldo's career is over, as the majority believe, Coach Ancelotti said:
 
"If Ronaldo’s career is over or not, no one can say. Neither I nor Seedorf can know that. Only Ronaldo can, he’s the one who knows what he’s facing. It all depends from his will. I wish him that he finds the will, he's still in time to make important things. Now it all depends from him, if he has overcome the first injury he can also overtake the second one. Ronaldo must face an important rehabilitation knowing that he’s 31 years old and that he can still play for two or three years, he must know all of this and if he wants to reach it he can succeed. He knows that he cannot play until 40 years of age, both because he’s not Maldini and also because he’s an attacker. Milan will do everything to make sure that Ronaldo gets his will back to be a great champion."

I agree with Ancelotti that Ronaldo is no Maldini. Problem with Ronaldo has been his consistent overweight  situation. Maldini is still playing because he keeps fit, same goes for Inzaghi are also over 30. Challenge then, will be up to Ronaldo to prove himself not anybody else.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Following up with Ronaldo, AC Milan Official website, informs that "Ronaldo left today (Thursday) for Paris just before 11 o'clock in the morning from the Linate airporto. Just after 13.00 the Brazilian champion had lunch inside the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris.

Ronie was visited by professor Eric Rolland who confirmed the diagnosis of yesterday evening. It will be professor Rolland, with the support and consultation of professor Gerard Saillant, who will operate Ronie later today."

In the Italian news TG1, Prof. Pierpaolo Marianini, Traumatologist IUSM, Rome, was asked about his opinion on Ronaldo's injury. Marianini commented that he believed Ronaldo might recover as he considers him young at 31 yrs., though, it will take around 6 - 8 months to recover.

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Not only is bad news for Milan, but also for football in general.  Can the great FENOMENO finish his career in this manner without ever making his final comeback to silent his critics?

Ronaldo, barely recovering from his last injury, substituted striker Alberto Gilardino in the 56th minute during the AC Milan 1 - 1 AS Livorno on Wed. Feb. 13.

Only three minutes later, precisely in the 59th minute, Ronaldo left the field in tears on a stretcher.  Ronaldo fall with a crucial pain in the penalty area when Milan defender Massimo Oddo sends a cross towards the middle while Livorno midfielder Vidigal stopped the ball with a handball.

Here is where RONALDO falls in an excruciating pain as seen in TV and the immediate reaction of his teammates.

According to acmilan.com, "after the first checks made at the Galeazzi hospital in Milan to the player Ronaldo, a rupture to his kneecap ligament was found in his left knee."

At 31 years old, this is not a light injury. Usually, this type of injury takes about 9 months, if not more, to heal.  Then, I wonder, will Ronaldo have the patience to follow a long recovery to come back again? Will he just retire and save his knees from further injuries?

Here is the dilemma for Ronaldo and Milan.  If Ronaldo seriously severed the tendon in his left knee, it will practically mean that  Ronaldo season with Milan is over. 

Ronaldo's contract expires this season and a pending renewal, as stated by Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, on the eve of the Milan-Livorno match, depended on "If Ronaldo finds the right conditions, his contract will be renewed. He has problems tied to the conditions, which he did not manage to find due to the numerous injuries. We have passed a period of emergency and we still are. Now Inzaghi has recovered, Kaka and Pato will do so in a week's time. We can risk of not having Ronaldo in the best form."

Sadly, this is the third time that Ronaldo suffered this injury. First it was in 1998, then in 2000. Point is whether this will be his final match. Time to say goodbye....?  I hope not.

One thing I know is that Milan will not abandon him. After the match,  Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani said,  "When Ronie cried, I hugged him, the tears fell on me too, but I told him we would stay close to him. Milan have already shown in the past they don't abandon players who suffer injuries, and the same will go for Ronaldo."

AC Milan Coach Carlo Ancelotti said, "I don't want to say his career is over because only time can put the word end to his career. From our part, we can only stay close to him. His team mates left the stadium quickly to reach the hospital to check on his condition, I think it's the right way to stay close to a player who's suffering. Being close to him can help him cope at such a delicate moment of his career. 

AC Milan Defender Daniele Bonera said, "You could immediately see it was something serious, Ronie's expression was the same as when he got injured in Rome. Let's hope for the best, but I'm afraid it's serious. We are very disappointed, he's a golden lad, let's hope he still wants to react and rise again. Ronie is an important player who always makes decisive moves. From Milanello sometimes stories come out about him which are strange and untrue. He's always made himself available to the team, he's a great professional."

 AC Milan Goalkeeper Zeljo Kalac commented,"I didn't even see who had fallen to the ground, but then I understood. I'm very sad, Ronie is a great person, he doesn't deserve this. It's hard to say what will happen now, when you break something in your knee it's very serious."

        AC Milan Defender kakha Kaladze said, "We are all very sad for Ronie, now we must all stay close to him. From the pitch you could see it was very serious. Too bad, when he jumped he felt this pain, it was really an unfortunate situation."

Personally, I only wish Ronaldo could have a happy ending just like in the movies, for example, like ROCKY BALBOA returning to glory many times, why not Ronaldo? Yes, of course, you might say it is not a "Hollywood film," but, hey, personal motivation can do miracles, just like it happened to Super Pippo Inzaghi when he came back to play after a serious injury when almost everybody believed his career was over.

Can Ronaldo not fall in a deep depression with this latest injury?  Rumors were that Ronaldo was already depressed before this match for being constantly in recovery period instead of playing.