THE INJURY IN 2000
When he was 23 and playing for Inter Milan, Ronaldo suffered another injury in his first comeback game against Lazio. He ended up missing the 2000 Olympic Games and didn't play again until 2001. Having spent two hours with the striker at the Paris Pitié-Salpetriere hospital, French doctor Gérard Saillant confirmed that Ronaldo had completely ruptured the tendons in his right knee, the same knee which had been operated on in November following a similar injury, which had caused only a partial rupture of the tendons. Saillant decided that Ronaldo needed another operation, which took place in Paris and lasted two hours.
GOODBYE TO THE OLYMPIC DREAM
The doctor set out a much longer rest and recuperation schedule than had been suggested after the first operation: seven or eight months, compared to the five months needed for him to get back to fitness in 1999. The prognosis meant that he would definitely miss his chance to take part in the Sydney Olympic Games. Inter issued a formal statement announcing that Ronaldo would not be playing for the rest of the season. Before the operation, Dr Saillant, a specialist in tendon surgery, had denied that Ronaldo's career was over. The recovery programme was very similar to the one drawn up for the first operation and Ronaldo remained in hospital for a week, before embarking upon the long road that would lead to him making a return to the pitch.
FAMILY
After the injury in Rome, Ronaldo didn't arrive home in Milan until 4am. He gave his eight-day old son Ronald a kiss and held him in his arms all night. He slept fitfully, with his wife Milene Domingues at his side. He woke at nine o'clock and had breakfast, a bread roll and fruit juice, prepared by his mother. He took a flight to Paris along with his physio, Nilton Petrone, and Inter's club doctor, Piero Volpi. He arrived at Pitié-Salpetriere Hospital at 1.45pm local time.
FRIENDS
Throughout this terrible day, he received phone calls from friends, team-mates (including Romario, Edmundo, Rivaldo, Antonio Carlos and Leonardo), from the then head coach of Brazil, Wanderley Luxemburgo, and from Zico, who called from Japan. Sedated with painkillers, the striker slept until just a few moments before the operation.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
Medical statement issued from the Pitié Salpetriere hospital:
‘During the afternoon of 13 April, Ronaldo underwent an operation performed by Dr Gérard Saillant to treat the traumatic and complete rupture of the tendons in his right kneecap.’ According to the statement, ‘the operation lasted two hours and all of the ruptures have now been repaired. A re-education programme has been drawn up, which will last for seven to eight months.’
RECOVERY
The ordeal that Ronaldo was going through was very similar to what he had experienced four months previously. Immediately after the operation, ice was applied to his kneecap, which was set in a rigid brace, exactly as had happened after the operation on 30 November 1999.
THE GREATEST SACRIFICE
Despite Ronaldo rupturing the same patellar tendons as he had previously, the difference between the two recovery programmes was due to the nature of the injuries. In 1999, the tendons had been only partially ruptured, whilst in 2000 they had been completely torn. During the first phase of rehabilitation, the player began doing three physio sessions a day, with the operated knee subject to passive movement. Around two months later, he began to do some physical exercise and to move his knee and kneecap.
DEVELOPMENT
During the following phase, Ronaldo began by stimulating increased muscular activity. He then returned to training with the ball. According to Dr Saillant, who had carried out the operation, the extreme caution with which each of the recuperation stages had been approached was vital to ensure that the knee completely healed: it was only by proceeding with such great care would Ronaldo be able to return to the pitch.
"THERE'S ONLY ONE THING I WANT: TO RECOVER”
In contrast to the previous rehab programme, which had been interrupted and disturbed by numerous non-football related 'incidents', this time Ronaldo completely isolated himself, concentrating solely on his recovery. “I want to come back in my own time, improving day by day,” said the player on 27 February 2001, when he trained alone in Teresopolis (in Rio de Janeiro State). “I want to be alone, away from the other players. I don't want to make the mistake of rushing my recovery. There's only one thing I want – it has become an obsession – and that is to recover.”
