Classic Players: Ronaldo – A year in Catalunya

As part of our ever expanding features this season, we introduce a new section to the website – the classics. As important as the current scheme of Spanish football is, and the future, it would be wrong to neglect its fine history. To overlook this area for us will be Mohamed Moallim, who becomes our chief writer on all things of a historical nature.

Here he starts with a ‘phenomenal’ story…

It was one of those moments when seeing was truly disbelieving the reaction from the bench more or less summed it up. A goal that would be forever immortalised and it was after being voted the second greatest in the clubs history in the early 21^st century. The date was Saturday, 12 October 1996 the venue was Estadio Multiusos de San Lázaro in Santiago de Compostela – the capital of Galicia – North West Spain.

A moment that defied everything by a player that just about tore up the record book in his sole season at the Camp Nou. A solitary season was enough for him to be named as one of the club’s all-time legends and recognised in their hall of fame. He is O Fenômeno better known as Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima.

He would enjoy greater success at Real Madrid in terms of winning the championship but the 1996/97 season spent in the red and blue of FC Barcelona still today is ranked as the finest by an individual in the past twenty years more so than the record breaking feats by messes Messi and his namesake Cristiano.

Arriving in the summer of 1996 as a 19-year-old from two productive seasons with PSV Eindhoven albeit with nothing to show for it aside from 54 goals in 57 games nobody would have predicted the explosive campaign he would have especially after failing to find the back of the net in his first two games.

The club was going through a transitional period with the departure of Johan Cruyff the previous summer in his place was Bobby Robson who had previously coached in Eindhoven and would no doubt be informed of Ronaldo’s mercurial performances by former colleagues in Holland to make him his first signing after moving from FC Porto. The competition for his signature wasn’t as stiff as it came down to two interested parties in Internazionale and Barça though it was the Catalans who were willing to pay his fee of £13.2M (roughly €15M back then).

Even though the goals weren’t flowing in against Real Oviedo and Espanyol his frightening electric pace and eye for goal was evident as well as the instant telepathic understanding with his teammates – including Luís Figo, Pep Guardiola, Hristo Stoichkov, Iván de la Peña and Gheorghe Popescu – especially fellow new signing Luis Enrique. His patience was rewarded when Barça travelled to Santander giving Robson’s men the lead but wasn’t enough for the three points as Fernando Correa’s late equaliser shared the spoils.

But on a personal note his first taste only intensified his hunger and the following weeks both Real Sociedad and Real Zaragoza were put to the sword. After his first six games the Brazilian had registered four goals and the trip to Compostela would see him add two more including the goal of the decade.

A minute into the game Ronaldo forced defender William into an own goal after his surging run from the right flank. Fellow compatriot Giovanni would double the lead again from a Ronaldo assist and then the moment of magic. Picking up the ball after a 50-50 a couple of yards behind the half-way line inside his own half and repelling the physical confrontations coming his way including his shirt being pulled he began his now famous run. With the ball glued to his feet and opposition players chasing him he bared down on goal and when inside the Compostela he added a nutmeg for good measure before drilling the ball past the keeper. The immediate reaction from Bobby Robson and José Mourinho on the touchline was one of amazement and disbelief. The thousands in attendance and the other 21 on the pitch could be forgiven for sharing the same experience.

The goal not only introduced Ronaldo to La Liga and wider audience, there’s one special teenager plying his trade here, but kick started a phenomenal run in front of goal. As well as debuting his famed aeroplane celebration. It’s hard to pinpoint what his strongest facet was given he had it all and was the quintessential number nine: aerially dominant, great strength and balance, rapid pace, ambidextrous (finished well with both feet), intuition in abundance and foresight. It seemed kryptonite or a similar element is his weakness though in future we would learn it was his knee.

A second goal in the fixture would be followed up by a brace in the 8-0 rout of CD Logroñés at home. His first hat-trick for the club would come at the Camp Nou against Valencia in one of the more brilliant displays from a number nine you’d ever see. In truth he could have easily grabbed more but the finishing for his goals were of the highest standards.

He would score two further hat-tricks in the league against Real Zaragoza and away to Atlético Madrid and ended the campaign with 34 goals in La Liga the most by a debutant player. In Europe, the Cup Winners’ Cup, his goals guided the Catalan giants to the Rotterdam final against Paris Saint-Germain and it was him that decided the outcome to win Barça their fourth crown. A few days later against Celta Vigo the last of his 47 goals was scored.

The wrangling between his agent and club directors saw him move that summer after just one, truly special, season to Internazionale. After his breathtaking campaign and subsequent one man campaign to win Brazil the Copa América that summer the name Ronaldo was everywhere and on everyone’s lips. He would end the year crowned the best player in the world by FIFA feats he will earn twice more.

It’s hard to comprehend playing just a sole season could see a player enter a clubs hall of fame – especially one of FC Barcelona stature – and earn legendary status. The player would need to be special if not extraordinary and that was Ronaldo who at times showed near superhuman capabilities.

One wonders if he had stayed would he have eclipsed his feat that stood for more than a decade and if he had called the club a home for a few more seasons how close would he have reached César Rodriguez’s all-time goal scoring record. One thing’s for sure the number nine would have remained his and most likely – if not already – been synonymous with his name just as the number four became with Guardiola.

Mohamed will be joining us regularly throughout the season but if you wish for more reading then visit his own personal site La Croqueta, and column for FourFourTwo on Dutch football. Regular updates from the man himself can be found via Twitter here.

Tags: Barcelona, Brazil, La Liga, Ronaldo