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Ronaldo tranquilised before final

Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo took a tranquiliser before taking the field, in France, for the final of the World Cup, according to a story in World Soccer magazine.

Quoting the team's doctor Lidio Toledo, the magazine said Ronaldo took the sedative after suffering a convulsive fit hours before the kickoff, and suggested that this could explain why the star looked so sluggish in the game.

Ronaldo had been omitted from Brazil's original team sheet. Then his name appeared on a revised team sheet released before kickoff. In the meantime, Brazil did not warm up on the field, for the first time, amid speculation of a rift between players over the exclusion, or inclusion, of Ronaldo.

World Soccer said players, team officials and hotel staff knew that Ronaldo had some kind of fit at lunchtime on the day of the game.

Brazil's assistant manager and former star Zico told the magazine that emergency tests gave Ronaldo a clean bill of health, but he was doubtful the player should have taken the field.

"It's always a mistake to play somebody who's not 100 per cent fit," Zico is quoted as saying. "It was proved that even if he's the best player in the world, he can't go onto the field if he's not well.

"Ronaldo was sleepy, really groggy. He was in no condition to play. The medical department could have said no. If they had said `Don't play him,' Zagallo wouldn't have played him. At no time did the doctors say no."

Ronaldo for his part told the magazine that he is now in perfect health, and ready to rejoin Italian Serie A club Inter Milan this week.

Agencies