Ronaldo Lima

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RONIE WE ARE WITH YOU

There was not much desire to talk about the match with Livorno. After the news of Ronaldo's kneecap injury all his team mates dedicated their thoughts to a true friend and an exemplary professional.

MILAN - At the end of the match against Livorno here is what the Rossoneri said concerning the drama of Ronaldo.

BONERA:

"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."

KALAC:

"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."

KALADZE:

"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."

[LuNo]

ONLY RONIE

The draw against Livorno, the standings, the next league games...wait a minute. Everything can and must wait. Today, in the head and hearts of all Milan fans, this is ONLY Ronie's day.

MILAN - It cannot end like this. Legsnd don't end. Let's hope that last night a light has not been switched off. These are just some of the phrases re-grouped in the thousands of letters, mails and messages which are reaching the headquarters of Milan in via Turati, the Rossoneri's pres office and the editorial staff of Milan Channel and the Official Website.

Amongst the numerous, warm, big demonstrations of affection from the 'Milanisti', there are those who were not able to sleep last night, those who wish that Ronie slept. There's also a blog, 'fenomenononmollare' (Fenomeno don't give up), which proves the impact that the small crater which opened in Ronaldo's knee in the penalty area of Livorno and his tears had on football lovers.

Ronie, Ronie and again Ronie. Milan, who will remain very close to the Brazilian start as a club, and the official Rossoneri communication media will give space and voice to all fans who want to give their encouragement to Ronaldo. A Phenomenon. And the phenomenons never give up. This is what the fans and lovers of Milan told us. The word also of the fan who wrote to us, telling us he would have preferred if he had hurt himself...

[sandy]

Thanks for pics LuNo Have more?

[LuNo]

You're welcome Sandy!!! No I haven't

[LuNo]

Ruptured knee tendon might end Ronaldo's career

PARIS -- Ronaldo arrived in Paris on Thursday for an operation to repair the ruptured tendon in his left knee that could end his career.

The three-time FIFA world player of the year was injured in AC Milan's 1-1 draw with Livorno in the Serie A on Wednesday. As his car pulled up to Paris' Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Ronaldo sat in the back seat with his leg in a brace and an ice pack on his knee.

"He fears for his career," Milan president Silvio Berlusconi told Italian state RAI TV. "I called him last evening and told him to believe in himself. He has enormous physical potential.".

"As a 31-year-old, he's very young," Berlusconi said. "He has an extraordinary physique, and I think within a few months he could return to being the champion that we all know him as."

This latest injury occurred two minutes after Ronaldo entered the game during a play that earned Milan an equalizing penalty. The Brazilian was carried off the field crying.

In Paris, Ronaldo is expected to see Gerard Saillant, the same surgeon who treated him for a similar injury to his right knee in 2000.

"He will be operated on this evening or overnight by Eric Rolland, my successor at Pitie-Salpetriere. I will help him," Saillant told the Associated Press by telephone Thursday. "It appears that it is the same injury that he had previously. If this is the case, an operation is obligatory."

After the previous operation, Ronaldo needed more than a year to return to competition, Saillant said.

"Considering his age, with eight more years on him, it is hard to say" when he could return to play, Saillant said.

Ronaldo has battled serious injuries throughout his career, and has played sparingly since joining Milan from Real Madrid in January 2007.

Wednesday's match was only his fifth in Serie A this season after injuring his thigh during preseason training on July 31. He returned in November, but has been on and off the roster due to a series of recurring problems.

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Ronaldo faces surgery on torn tendon

ROME, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Brazilian soccer great Ronaldo was taken to Rome for surgery on a ruptured tendon in his right knee, an injury that threatened to end his career.

Ronaldo was injured Wednesday while playing for AC Milan against Livorno. Ronaldo entered the game in the second half and fell while leaping for control of ball.

"I heard a horrible sound, like a bang. It was a strange sound," Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia, who was near the play, told ANSA, the Italian news agency.

Ronaldo was scheduled to have surgery in Rome by the same team that operated on a similar injury to his left knee in November 1999. Officials didn't offer a prognosis other than to say Ronaldo was in very good physical shape and medical advances since his previous tendon operation had greatly improved, ANSA said.

Ronaldo, 31, was named the World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 and owns the World Cup record with 15 career goals in 19 games over three tournaments. He was on the Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 2002 and was the runner-up in 1998.

[sandy]

Thanks fro news too

[double blush]

Poor thing

[LuNo]

You're welcome Sandy!

[LuNo]

AC Milan vice-president hopeful over Ronaldo injury

ROME (AFP) - Brazilian star Ronaldo's left knee is in better shape than his right knee was eight years ago, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani told Ansa news agency on Friday.

Ronaldo, who faces a major battle to save his career, underwent his third knee operation in Paris on Thursday.

The 31-year-old now faces at least nine months on the sidelines and will only be able to think about returning to action with AC Milan at the end of the year.

Ronaldo flew to Paris after rupturing a tendon in his right knee during AC Milan's 1-1 draw with Livorno on Wednesday.

Galliani said while at an Italian league meeting in Milan: "He (Ronaldo) is still feeling a little pain but it seems the tendon of the (left) knee is in better shape than that of the right knee which was operated on eight years ago."

Renowned French surgeon Professor Gerard Saillant, who supervised the two-hour operation and who operated on Ronaldo in both 1999 and 2000, said he would be out of action for nine months.

"I have not spoken directly with Leonardo (the club official accompanying Ronaldo)," Galliani added. "I am not a doctor and therefore I will not be making a guess at how long he will be out.

"He will need to stay in hospital about a week but after that I do not know where he will decide to go -- whether he will return to Milan or go to Madrid with his son."

The Italian press are naming possible replacements for Ronaldo at AC Milan, including Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Ronaldinho of Barcelona and Karim Benzema who plays for Lyon.

"I am not ruling out bringing in another player," said Galliani. "But we will have to see this summer. Our aim this season is to finish fourth in the league meaning we will qualify for the Champions League."

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Iker Casillas: "In such a good day as today it is impossible for me not to remember a colleague who is going through a hard time since yesterday due to an injury. I want to send Ronaldo all my support and that of my teammates."