MANY PEOPLE WERE surprised when Ronaldo appeared in Florida last month to announce that he was becoming a part owner of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who play in the American second tier.
But that wasn’t the surprising part – Ronaldo also said that he planned on returning to the field and playing for the team. The Brazilian has had a well-documented weight battle since retiring from football and apparently he still has a long way to go physically before he is able to represent the Floridians.
The Strikers open their season on 6 April against the New York Cosmos but according to Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte Ronaldo needs to lose another 10 kilos before he can play and he might not be ready until October.
“We are planning for everything,” his fitness coach told Esporte.
“If he forces things too far, he will get hurt. And I also know Ronaldo. If he gets a load of very intense work now he will complain and will give up. I know to deal with him. He needs different exercises all the time and different challenges. These activities have to have a competition element. Otherwise, he has no patience.”
That doesn’t sound particularly promising but Ronaldo has shed weight in the past so hopefully he can get back on the field sooner than October.
It would be great to see some of this magic again, even in the American second tier.
