Recalling Phenomenal Debut 'Il Fenomeno' Ronaldo at Bernabeu

Exactly 15 years ago, on 6 October 2002, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima played his first appearance at Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid greatness uniform. The legendary Brazilian striker took just a minute on the pitch to netted the first of his 104 goals with Madrid.

In the game, Ronaldo immediately bought up two goals. A perfect 'introduction', phenomenal, it was perfect for a player who bears the nickname Il Fenomeno.

Overall, Ronaldo scored 104 goals in 177 appearances for Madrid in all tournaments. It all started from his debut at the Bernabeu against Deportivo Alaves.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on September 18, 1976, Ronaldo started his professional career as a footballer with Cruzeiro in 1993. After the 1994 World Cup, which he attended despite being 17 (but not played), Ronaldo joined PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Ronaldo's ability as a striker was growing rapidly. Two seasons at PSV, he attracted Barcelona and Inter Milan. Barcelona was a club that successfully bought him with a transfer value of $ 19.5 million ( a world record at that time). Ronaldo was only one season in Barcelona uniform, ​​but that was enough for him to win the FIFA World Player of the Year 1996 award. At the age of 20, he became the youngest player ever to win.

Based on the problem of contract negotiations, Ronaldo chose to leave Catalan. Inter finally got it in the summer of 1997. With a transfer value of $ 27 million, Ronaldo became the second player after Diego Maradona who ever broke the world transfer record twice.

With Inter, his ability as a forward being more perfect. Speed, a technique to goal instinct being sharper. Until Italian media dubbed him 'Il Fenomeno', and we do not need Google Translate to find out the meaning.

But a knee injury made Ronaldo can not pull out all his best ability. After the 2002 World Cup, and 59 goals in 99 appearances with the Nerazzurri uniform, Ronaldo returns to Matador Country. Madrid recruited him with a transfer value of € 46 million.

Ronaldo was brought in as part of the Galacticos era, which included Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, to David Beckham.Though an injury made him unable to get down to the field until October 2002, the Madrid fans were constantly singing his name.

Their wait to see Ronaldo appear in Madrid's uniform at the Bernabeu was finally completed on October 6, 2002, when Madrid hosted Alaves in Jornada 5 La Liga.

Entered as a substitute for Guti on 63rd minutes by coach Vicente del Bosque, Ronaldo took just a minute to score his first goal. The goal was born from the assist of his compatriot, Roberto Carlos. In the 78th minute, continued through pass from Steve McManaman, Ronaldo scored his second goal. Madrid finally won 5-2 thanks to one goal from Zidane and two goals each from Figo and Ronaldo.

Since then, goal by goal continues to be born from the foot of Ronaldo, especially after returning to wear number 9 (in his first season he wore number 11). These included a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Champions League quarter-final duel, which earned him a standing ovation from both supporters. In addition, Ronaldo also scored one of the fastest goals in Madrid's history when breaking into Atletico Madrid's goal in the 14th second (La Liga 2003/04). Not to forget anyway, some beautiful goals in El Clasico against Barcelona - which incidentally was his former club.

Together with Madrid, Ronaldo won La Liga twice and grabbed one title each; Intercontinental Cup and Supercopa de Espana. On the individual side, he won Trofeo Pichichi, his third FIFA World Player of the Year and the second  Ballon d'Or.

His last two seasons in Madrid, before leaving in the winter of 2007, Ronaldo was more absent due to injury and weight problems. After Madrid recruited Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006, Ronaldo was rarely given a chance by coach Fabio Capello.

Ronaldo finally left Madrid, but his prowess remains timeless.

Ronaldo then returned to the city of Milan, but this time to wear the red-black uniform AC Milan. But Ronaldo was no longer the same Ronaldo. Ghost injury was still faithful terrorize him. Only one season he strengthened Milan.

Ronaldo then joined Corinthians in 2009, before announcing his retirement in February 2011. The injury was the one who forced him. In a press conference at the time, Ronaldo said: "It is very difficult to leave something that makes me so happy."

"Mentally, I still want to go on, but I have to admit to losing the condition of the body, the head wants to continue, but the body is no longer able.

Ronaldo finally closed his 18-year career as a professional footballer. He retired as one of the greatest strikers and players of all time.

In his prime-time; speed, technique, power, dribbling skills, ball control, balance and Ronaldo's goal instinct were unparalleled. Although basically right-footed, Ronaldo's left foot was also great, and it makes him even more frightening. Despite the position as a striker, Ronaldo was able to design an assist for his colleagues, thanks to his vision and passing ability he has.

Ronaldo was a true nightmare of the opposing defender. Dealing one-on-one with Ronaldo, goalkeeper usually can only surrender. He is indeed phenomenal.

Filippo Inzaghi Before You Know Him

Filippo Inzaghi is now pioneering his way as a coach. After failing at AC Milan, Inzaghi took a job coaching at the club who compete in Lega Pro (the third level in the pyramid of football competition in Italy), Venice in the year 2016.

Pippo, his nickname, was apparently successful to bring the club based at Pierluigi Penzo Stadium got a promotion to the Serie B competition in just over a year.

But rather than talking about his work as a coach, it seems the public is still more happy to discuss football striker with nicknamed Super Pippo while still playing. Yes, we still often compare today's attackers with Inzaghi who has retired since 2012.

When we see an attacker who often scores with a ball gag, the name of Inzaghi is remembered. Similarly, when you see an attacker who often get caught offside or a lot of diving, Inzaghi's name was the Lord.

Our reaction will also be the same if you see an attacker who does not have a qualified technique and does not heed the aesthetics of play. This shows that Inzaghi, with all his attributes, is an iconic figure and hard to forget.

Labeled as attackers without technique is already gorged on the admissibility. The Maestro like Johan Cruyff or Sir Alex Ferguson ever called him can't play football and was born in the offside position. However, the former player who used to be his opponent commented on different things.

Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender called Pippo the most difficult attacker to keep, while Roberto Carlos, who often faces him when dressed in Inter Milan called him a player who can provide solutions amid the deadlock of his team.

But from these comments, there is no one praising Pippo's technical qualities as an attacker. Existing, Pippo considered only lucky players. Cruyff also continued his assessment of Pippo as a "player who can not play football" with additional attributes "he is just in the right position."

I do not want to be the umpteenth person who defends Pippo at once explains that we need to see the other side to better appreciate Pippo. It seems that all football fans already understand that as an attacker, Pippo's only undisputed advantage is the goal record.

This was what took him to stay at the highest level until he scored more than 300 goals throughout his career, also won various prestigious trophies at club level.

Trying to discuss Pippo from a technical point of view playing ball, I want to say that Pippo was not a bad skill player. In fact, Pippo was actually a complete attacker just like any other attacker.

I would like to invite you to watch a compilation of goals that Pippo scored in the era before he was widely known. Specifically, I suggest seeing footage of Pippo's goals while strengthening Atalanta in the 1996/1997 season.

If you've finished seeing 24 goals made by Inzaghi that season, hopefully, the assessment of you will be slightly changed. You, of course, see for themselves that the goals that make Pippo as Serie A top scorer at that moment were a very varied process.

Not as we remember when he played at Juventus or Milan, when goals made by Pippo created from close range through tap-in process, received a cross, or kicking the ball gag.

But when playing at Atalanta, Pippo was able to score goals almost by any means. Although goals from close range still dominate, Pippo also often scored through long-distance kicks, first-time kick, even he ever found the opponent's goal through free kick execution!

Pippo also able to start his goal through acceleration and dribble which was quite difficult to do. Such goals were certainly hardly ever seen in the career phase where we all know Pippo at Juventus and Milan.

This actually indicates that Pippo was a good footballer. That is, at least the basic techniques that must be owned by a player competing at the highest level already owned.

Surely it was difficult for a bad footballer to be able to trick the goalkeeper like Petr Cech or Pepe Reina in a one-on-one duel.

The Adaptation of How Pippo Play

Pippo's high technique was clearly visible when he strengthens Atalanta. At that time, Pippo's age was still 23 years old. That is, energy owned by the brother of Simone Inzaghi was still abundant.

For example, he can do the acceleration from the edge of the opponent's pitch then bring the ball into the middle and release a hard kick without difficulty. Though Pippo that we know was not known for his hard kick.

Second, Atalanta own factor which in fact was the mediocre club. Emiliano Mondonico, who at that time became coach of the club with nicknamed La Dea gave Pippo the freedom to become the main pedestal of attack.

When his team did the attack, Pippo often became part of it, not just waiting in the opponent's penalty box.

Thus, there was room to accelerate and show skill. Together with Gianluigi Lentini and Domenico Morfeo who became his partner at the time, Pippo was really a different player.

The brilliant performance at the mediocre club certainly invited the attention of big clubs. It was Juventus who took him a season later.

Playing in big teams was, of course, different. At Juventus, it was entrenched Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Angelo Di Livio, Vladimir Jugovic, and others. These names were a guarantee of creativity.

Being one team with them, Pippo was no longer played as a creator, he was just completing the creations that have been composed by the geniuses.

Like a good guitarist who played the show along with other reliable guitarists, Pippo was willing (and forced) to reduce the parts that feature guitar solos that will make it the center of attention.

He was also willing to reduce the volume for some duration of the song, but he will always be ready when needed. Yes, while in the field for 90 minutes, how many minutes of Pippo interaction with the ball? Probably not reached 10 minutes.

But he waited patiently, running and searching. Finding the right position, waiting for the opponent off guard, waiting for loose custody, then scored.

"Adapt or die" may be the principle Pippo has held since then. Realizing that the demands on him were scoring goals, he also continued to hone his goal scoring skills.

Pippo was among the most diligent players who watching the opposite match video to find their weaknesses. Goals have become his obsession. So it was not surprising also if he often looks selfish and rarely gave the ball to his partner.

When his time at Juventus had run out with the arrival of David Trezeguet a younger and convincing, it was Milan who saw the advantages. Despite having to pay 35 million euros plus Cristian Zenoni (very high at that time), and Pippo was 28 years old, but Milan through newly coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that Pippo was the right partner for Andriy Shevchenko.

The rest was history. In Milan, Pippo played for 11 seasons, scored 126 goals and won numerous prestigious trophies until retirement at age 39. Remarkably, until his retirement the Pippo's role was not small with the goal ratio was still maintained high.

Pippo figure that looks fragile can survive for as long as possible at the highest level. When scored two goals in the Champions League final in 2007 against Liverpool, he was 34 years old.

Even when there were a shift and a variety of tactical modifications that require attackers to play more roles in the process of building attacks and becoming the initial wall of defense, Pippo coaches still often played him, because then at least it presents the threat of goals with high levels of certainty.

No matter how a team plays, goal scoring becomes the primary goal.

Incidentally, Pippo on the 9th of August was the 44th birthday. If this season Venezia plays brilliantly, it's possible that football fans will start talking more often about his work as coaches, rather than as players.

Happy birthday, Pippo, and hopefully return to Serie A soon!

Goodbye Cesare Maldini

Cesare Maldini (goal.com)

In nursing science known a concept called Loss Concept or Grieving. The concept is about the state of an individual when parting with something that exists before then became no exists, in part or whole. Yes, this concept is associated with death. The absolute thing in our lives, football lovers.

After the grief that afflicts the world of football post-losing Dutch football maestro Johan Cruyff, now an another figure of football legend who died. Italiano was named Cesare Maldini who on Sunday (3/4) gone forever at the age of 84 years.

Obviously, Cesare Maldini himself so familiar among football lovers. Because he is the first generation of Maldini dynasty, which wallowing success. These same dynasties have outstanding contributions for the Italy and AC Milan.

Cesare, who is the father of Paolo Maldini, also had a flashy achievement when still registered as a player. He recorded successfully brought Milan grabbed four Scudetto and the Champions League in the 1950s and 1960s.

Cesare became the first Italian man who lifted the European club title in 1962/1963 the past because of his status as captain of the Rossoneri in the year 1961-1966.

Throughout the 15 years of his career on the field, Cesare was known as a tough defender, had a brilliant and versatile technique. It allowed him to play in several positions at the rear sector, as a central defender, sweeper, and even right-back.

Together the three clubs who've strengthened during play, Triestina, Milan and Torino, Cesare has played 453 times in all competitions.

After his career as a player ended, Cesare did not leave this world which made his name. Only a few seasons after hanging up his boots, Cesare lined by Nereo Rocco to be his assistant in Milan from 1970 to 1973. Collaboration both produced a pair of the Italian Cup, the season 1971/1972 and 1972/1973 and also 1972/1973 Cup Winners Cup title.

Even when Rocco move to Fiorentina a year later, Cesare directly promoted to a brand-new head coach of the Rossoneri. Unfortunately, the trip Cesare as Milan allenatore lasted one season only.

Cesare then continued his adventures with handling mediocre clubs like Foggia, Ternana, and Parma. The last club latter successfully delivered promotion to Serie B after an extra hard fight in Serie C1.

In 1980, the Italian national team head coach, Enzo Bearzot, lifting Cesare became one of his assistants. The collaboration was quite successful because they were able to bring Italy into the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Cesare himself became Bearzot assistant until 1986 before being appointed by FIGC (Italian football governing body), head coach of the Italy Under-21.

Cesare coaching career in Gli Azzurrini lasted quite long, precisely a decade. With that same opportunity, Cesare successfully brought Gli Azzurrini winning the European Under-21 Cup three times in a row, a record that has not been solved to this day. Three trophies were won in 1992, 1994 and 1996.

Cesare had a big hand in the career development of young figures which even today has been pension as stars and legends such as Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta, Francesco Toldo, Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri.

Post-successfully refined Gli Azzurrini; Cesare was appointed as senior team coach replaced Arrigo Sacchi that failed miserably in the European Cup in 1996. The task of Cesare was fixing Italy once passed them to the 1998 World Cup held in France.

Talk about a style of play that carried by Cesare in training; then it can not be released with the playing characteristic of Bearzot. Being with Bearzot that lasted long enough so affect the style of Cesare train.

Just like Bearzot, Cesare was known as a coach who adheres to the idea that the Italian game should play man to man marking patterns plus libero in the rear sector, have midfielder fighter, and teams were overall excellent at the counterattack.

But the style of play developed by Cesare was even making Italy appear "ordinary" despite just got some quality players like Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, and Gianfranco Zola.

In qualifying, though untouched defeat of eight parties that played, five wins and three draws, Italy had to settle for second place perched in the final standings.

Gli Azzurri lost out to England and had struggled in the playoffs for the sake win a ticket to the main round. Italian lucky can frustrate the opposition of Russia in two-leg play-offs after a 2-1 aggregate win.

In the final round, Italy could come out as winners of Group B after winning the competition for Austria, Chile, and Cameroon. Unfortunately, Azzurri steps must be stopped sooner; at the quarter-final stage over hosts France by penalties round.

The failure to make an all-out media criticized Italy Cesare, which not bring Zola to the finals and never plays Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero together (replacing one in each half).

It repeats the story of Ferruccio Valcareggi in the 1970 World Cup had never played a Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera simultaneously. As a form of accountability, Cesare withdrew from the national team after the 1998 World Cup.

But the most interesting story in his coaching career when he made as head coach by the Paraguay national team in December 2001 ahead of the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan.

Paraguay at that moment coached by Sergio Markarian, Uruguay national coach, and has qualified for the 2002 World Cup did not go down with full force in the last two games Conmebol zone qualifiers against Venezuela and Colombia. Consequently defeated Paraguay 1-3 and 0-4. These results make Markarian fired.

The dismissal came as a surprise for a majority of Paraguay squad, especially those trained by Markarian since young so it has its loyalty to the coach. Some names floated to be a successor to Markarian, such as Carlos Bianchi and Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani.

However, APF (Paraguay Football Association) instead chose Cesare as head coach. Many people thought that as a coach Cesare curriculum vitae was less okay and did not have the skills regarding tactics.

Also, he called already too weak and paid too high for coaching Paraguay. Cesare also has a constraint about the Spanish language, the national language of Paraguay, that is not under their control.

The appointment of Cesare did not get a positive impression of the La Albirroja squad and Paraguay public.

"I think he should learn Spanish because it will be easier for him than ask 25 people (players) to learn Italian," said Carlos Gamarra, a former national team who was playing for AEK Athens, Greece.

Cesare himself regarded spend too little time in Paraguay to understand better the culture of Latin American football. Yes, while coaching La Albirroja, Cesare is often back and forth Paraguay-Italy. Allenatore came to Paraguay mostly only when La Albirroja will compete.

"He had to spend day and night to watch the video of our game know better how the style and character of Paraguay. The reason is clear because we do not have much time to meet (due to his reluctance to settle in Paraguay), "said the defender who has 110 caps as quoted from news.bbc.co.uk.

Paraguay squad displeasure towards Cesare makes the captain and their legendary goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, apologized to Cesare on the relentless criticism of his colleagues.

Paraguay steps in the 2002 World Cup itself ended more quickly in 16 big round after silenced by Germany with the score 1-0. Earlier, Paraguay came out as Group B runners-up in the group stage. The results also finish his Cesare coaching career. He later became a scout for Milan and analyst on several television channels.

Excellent as a player but not too successful as a coach become its record in a long career of Cesare Maldini. Now, he has left us with all these various stories that would not be timeless. Once legend remains legend.

Ciao Cesare!