Ronaldo the dividing figure

Brazilian ace Ronaldo, 30, has always been considered a world-class striker albeit many a time a protagonist off, rather than on, the field of play.

Even though his talented skills were never put under discussion, his attitude towards coaches and team-mates have, more often than not, divided the followers of the game.

Perhaps, the biggest controversy Ronaldo has ever been implicated in goes back to the 1998 World Cup.

Brazil were favourites to retain the title in the final against hosts France. Although he was not fit, Ronaldo was named in the starting XI as Brazil were outplayed and soundly beaten by Zinedine Zidane's Les Bleus who went on to be crowned champions for the first time. In Brazil, when the national dream is walloped in such manner, the post-mortem is always painful and lengthy.

There were allegations in 1998 that sports firm Nike, sponsors of Ronaldo and the Brazilian team at the time, had made pressure on the federation to make sure that their most valuable asset takes part in the final at all costs.

But that mystery remained unsolved to this day. Only the player himself, coach Mario Zagallo, who allowed Ronaldo to play, and Lidio Toledo, the Brazilian team doctor, know what had really happened on the eve of that final.

Ronaldo, even though unfit, was deployed in the team. The result was a disaster for Brazilian soccer but four years later Ronaldo went on to prove that he was not football's unfinished symphony.

Before the 2002 World Cup he was coming from months of inactivity with Inter. In 1999/2000, he only scored three goals in seven Serie A appearances.

The following year was even worse as he neither scored nor played in the Serie A. Then, in the 2002 World Cup, Ronaldo reserved his best for the national team but for Inter he scored seven goals in only 10 matches.

The fact that Ronaldo finished as the 2002 tournament's top scorer, besides leading Brazil to their fifth World Cup, was in itself ironic when compared to his meagre contribution to Inter.

What was even more controversial was the way Ronaldo quit the Serie A to join Real Madrid. If there was a way to be ungrateful to a club that had remained behind a player in difficult times, then this was it.

With Real, Ronaldo started scoring regularly again but he was never the player he used to be. In his only season with Barcelona, in 1996/97, and particularly in his first year at Inter (1997/98), Ronaldo was outstanding and mesmerising. He used to make the difference with his goals.

At the time, he was very fast and agile with the ball. In 1997, Bobby Robson's Barcelona had won the Cup Winners' Cup and the King's Cup whereas Luigi Simoni's Inter lifted the UEFA Cup a year later following a convincing 3-0 win over Lazio in Paris.

But, in last year's World Cup, Ronaldo failed to inspire a disjointed Brazilian side to retain their title. Ronaldo was clearly resting on his laurels, he started gaining weight and became easy prey for his direct markers.

Capello friction

Fabio Capello is not a person who gets on very well with primadonnas.

At the start of the season, Ronaldo became one of those talismans to find himself at the very edge of a Real team that never really got going under the shrewd Italian.

Then, in January, came Ronaldo's move to Milan. Many considered this a direct blow to Inter and the fans who could not believe their former idol and skipper was joining their eternal rivals.

Reports said, the former Golden Ball winner had turned down several lucrative offers from a number of oil-rich countries and the USA before joining Milan.

His move could indicate that he is still hungry for success at the top level once again.

Ronaldo's qualities are immense and unquestionable. To make his stay at Milan a success story he needs to show more passion in his game. He has to have more desire and appetite for success and, above all, he has to be disciplined and keep a low profile.

Ronaldo's start with Milan - three goals in seven Serie A appearances - looks promising. But much more is expected from a player who is looking to live up to his old nickname - the phenomenon.