The Temperamental Geniuses: Romario
9/3/2005 1:56:00 AM
In the first of a news series, Goal.com’s Gavin Dunne celebrates the colourful careers of some of football’s most charismatic and controversial stars – the flawed but fabulous temperamental geniuses who make pulses race and heads shake. Here he profiles an all-time great who is still delivering the goods – Romario…
Romario De Souza Faria has privileges. He chooses how he trains; he travels to matches how he pleases; and it’s quite likely he picks the team despite not even being a coach. Why? He is the best.
In a career that has taken him full circle back to Vasco Da Gama where he will surely end his playing days, Romario has scored goals, hatfuls of goals. Along the way he has been outspoken, arrogant, emotional, violent and petulant in the midst of innumerate women, affairs and marriages. Not so long ago he was quoted as saying “I don’t believe in marriage” even though he was married at the time.
My first memory of Romario is when he came to my hometown Dublin in 1987. Remarkably Ireland beat Brazil that day, it was to be one of the few defeats he had to endure for Brazil, only losing 7 games in 70 caps.
Indeed he scored on his farewell against Guatemala in April giving him a total of 56 goals for his country. Just under a goal a game ratio.
This kind of international form has been prominent over his club career spanning over three decades. At PSV he scored 127 goals in 138 games, which is indeed astounding. It is interesting that he flourished under Bobby Robson even though Robson admits “Romario was one of the most difficult characters that I have ever had to work with, but he was also one of the most wonderful footballers that I have ever encountered. You work with him," he explained, "because while I couldn’t change him, I also knew that he was the best player in Holland.” It seems that was the way to handle “Baixinho Romario” or “the short one.” According to Tostao, a world champion in 1970, “You can only get along with Romario if you’re prepared to give him free rein. Those who have failed to appreciate that have not reaped the benefits of his talent."
Moving on to Barcelona he was La Liga’s top scorer in 1993/94 with 30 goals. In Cruyff’s dream team, which included the likes of Stoichkov and Koeman, he played the best football of his career. "One morning after training, he came and told me he was going off to the Rio Carnival in eight days’ time. I immediately retorted, ’Fine, provided you score three goals against Real Madrid on Sunday,’" the Dutchman recalls. “No sooner said than done. Romario hit a hat-trick, Barcelona won and the little man was on the plane to Rio.” 1994 was indeed Romario’s year, voted the Best Player in the World. Legendary Mario Zagallo is quoted as saying, "Romario at the 1994 World Cup in the United States was as influential as Maradona at Mexico ‘86. Both these players won the title almost single-handedly. When the Argentinean hung up his boots, Romario was surely the best player in the world.” Romario was now a name that would never be forgotten. I still have fond memories of him kissing the world cup draped in his beloved Brazilian flag.
After Barcelona he returned home and over the next four years leapfrogged between Flamengo and Valencia in Spain. Whilst of course scoring goals it was perhaps a lacklustre time for him with a 25 month-spell out of the national team through either injury or insult. 1994 would prove to be the peak of both his club and international career, as while he did play many more times for Brazil problems with the coach and injuries kept him out of two World Cups which he would have undoubtedly set alight.
On his return to Vasco Da Gama, where he had started his career, he hit the target 74 times in 2000 in the Brazilian League and finished top-scorer in 2001 at the ripe old age of 36.
A money-spinning trip to Qatar where he received $1.5 million dollars for a three-month stint was followed by a relatively unsuccessful return trip to Fluminense. Back now at Vasco he is still scoring goals at the age of 39. “I hope to reach and maybe even pass the mythical 1000-goal mark one day. I know I’m not going to beat Pele’s record (1238 goals) but I’m drawn towards the nice round figure of 1000."
According to the man himself it’s not getting an early night the day before the game that is the key to his success: “If I don’t go out the night before I can’t score the day after.”
If he does indeed reach 1000 goals, which is perhaps unlikely now – the official fifa count on March 23rd 2005 was 900 – most of them will have been scored at close range. “He does all his work in an area the size of a postage stamp,” says Dunga, captain of the World Cup winning side of 1994. Romario will happily tell you of his prowess in the box. When asked about a comparison with Ronaldo he says “I’ve a better eye for goal than him and take up better positions around the box.”
Incidents and controversy have littered the Brazilian’s career. One of the funnier ones pictured Romario climbing over the top of a fence surrounding Fluminense’s training pitch trying to punch a fan that was throwing live chickens onto the field. During a run of poor form for Flamengo he took a trip to a local witchdoctor where hypnosis and various other ‘techniques’ were used to treat him. On his return he promptly scored a hat trick.
Recently he claimed he was Brazil’s most important player since 1970 and when Pele stated it might be time for him to retire, Romario gave a few words to an interviewer after a beach soccer game. “When Pele’s quiet, he’s a poet, but he just talks shit. On the field he was the greatest player in history, he was our king. But he should put a shoe in his mouth.”
Many journalists alike have called for Romario to retire. However he is scoring goals this season, and while he is still scoring goals there is no need for retirement. It is merely common practice for players to retire in their mid to late 30’s but Romario is a phenomenon. After all as he says himself: “God created me to delight people with my goals.”
Club history
• Olaria Athletic Club - (Brazil 1983-1985)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 1985-1988)
• PSV Eindhoven - (Netherlands 1988-1992)
• FC Barcelona - (Spain) 1992-1994)
• Flamengo - (Brazil 1995-1998)
• Valencia - (Spain 1998-1998)
• Flamengo - (Brazil 1999-2000)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 2000-2001)
• Fluminense - (Brazil 2002-2004)
• Al-Ittihad - (Saudi Arabia 2004-2004)
• Fluminese – (Brazil 2004)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 2005-)
Title history
• Rio de Janeiro Stadual League (1985-1999) - 7 times top scorer 4 titles
• KNVB Cup (1988-1991) - 3 times champion
• Netherland Honor Division (1991) - champion and three times top scorer
• Seoul Olympic Games (1988) - silver medal
• American Cup (1989-1997) - 2 times champion and top scorer
• Spanish League (1994) - champion and top scorer
• FIFA World Cup 1994 - champion and best player
• Confederations Cup (1997) - champion and top scorer
• Brazilian Championship (2000) - champion
Gavin Dunne
---------
Ahhh, Romario, the Legend. One of my favourite players of all time
9/3/2005 1:56:00 AM
In the first of a news series, Goal.com’s Gavin Dunne celebrates the colourful careers of some of football’s most charismatic and controversial stars – the flawed but fabulous temperamental geniuses who make pulses race and heads shake. Here he profiles an all-time great who is still delivering the goods – Romario…
Romario De Souza Faria has privileges. He chooses how he trains; he travels to matches how he pleases; and it’s quite likely he picks the team despite not even being a coach. Why? He is the best.
In a career that has taken him full circle back to Vasco Da Gama where he will surely end his playing days, Romario has scored goals, hatfuls of goals. Along the way he has been outspoken, arrogant, emotional, violent and petulant in the midst of innumerate women, affairs and marriages. Not so long ago he was quoted as saying “I don’t believe in marriage” even though he was married at the time.
My first memory of Romario is when he came to my hometown Dublin in 1987. Remarkably Ireland beat Brazil that day, it was to be one of the few defeats he had to endure for Brazil, only losing 7 games in 70 caps.
Indeed he scored on his farewell against Guatemala in April giving him a total of 56 goals for his country. Just under a goal a game ratio.
This kind of international form has been prominent over his club career spanning over three decades. At PSV he scored 127 goals in 138 games, which is indeed astounding. It is interesting that he flourished under Bobby Robson even though Robson admits “Romario was one of the most difficult characters that I have ever had to work with, but he was also one of the most wonderful footballers that I have ever encountered. You work with him," he explained, "because while I couldn’t change him, I also knew that he was the best player in Holland.” It seems that was the way to handle “Baixinho Romario” or “the short one.” According to Tostao, a world champion in 1970, “You can only get along with Romario if you’re prepared to give him free rein. Those who have failed to appreciate that have not reaped the benefits of his talent."
Moving on to Barcelona he was La Liga’s top scorer in 1993/94 with 30 goals. In Cruyff’s dream team, which included the likes of Stoichkov and Koeman, he played the best football of his career. "One morning after training, he came and told me he was going off to the Rio Carnival in eight days’ time. I immediately retorted, ’Fine, provided you score three goals against Real Madrid on Sunday,’" the Dutchman recalls. “No sooner said than done. Romario hit a hat-trick, Barcelona won and the little man was on the plane to Rio.” 1994 was indeed Romario’s year, voted the Best Player in the World. Legendary Mario Zagallo is quoted as saying, "Romario at the 1994 World Cup in the United States was as influential as Maradona at Mexico ‘86. Both these players won the title almost single-handedly. When the Argentinean hung up his boots, Romario was surely the best player in the world.” Romario was now a name that would never be forgotten. I still have fond memories of him kissing the world cup draped in his beloved Brazilian flag.
After Barcelona he returned home and over the next four years leapfrogged between Flamengo and Valencia in Spain. Whilst of course scoring goals it was perhaps a lacklustre time for him with a 25 month-spell out of the national team through either injury or insult. 1994 would prove to be the peak of both his club and international career, as while he did play many more times for Brazil problems with the coach and injuries kept him out of two World Cups which he would have undoubtedly set alight.
On his return to Vasco Da Gama, where he had started his career, he hit the target 74 times in 2000 in the Brazilian League and finished top-scorer in 2001 at the ripe old age of 36.
A money-spinning trip to Qatar where he received $1.5 million dollars for a three-month stint was followed by a relatively unsuccessful return trip to Fluminense. Back now at Vasco he is still scoring goals at the age of 39. “I hope to reach and maybe even pass the mythical 1000-goal mark one day. I know I’m not going to beat Pele’s record (1238 goals) but I’m drawn towards the nice round figure of 1000."
According to the man himself it’s not getting an early night the day before the game that is the key to his success: “If I don’t go out the night before I can’t score the day after.”
If he does indeed reach 1000 goals, which is perhaps unlikely now – the official fifa count on March 23rd 2005 was 900 – most of them will have been scored at close range. “He does all his work in an area the size of a postage stamp,” says Dunga, captain of the World Cup winning side of 1994. Romario will happily tell you of his prowess in the box. When asked about a comparison with Ronaldo he says “I’ve a better eye for goal than him and take up better positions around the box.”
Incidents and controversy have littered the Brazilian’s career. One of the funnier ones pictured Romario climbing over the top of a fence surrounding Fluminense’s training pitch trying to punch a fan that was throwing live chickens onto the field. During a run of poor form for Flamengo he took a trip to a local witchdoctor where hypnosis and various other ‘techniques’ were used to treat him. On his return he promptly scored a hat trick.
Recently he claimed he was Brazil’s most important player since 1970 and when Pele stated it might be time for him to retire, Romario gave a few words to an interviewer after a beach soccer game. “When Pele’s quiet, he’s a poet, but he just talks shit. On the field he was the greatest player in history, he was our king. But he should put a shoe in his mouth.”
Many journalists alike have called for Romario to retire. However he is scoring goals this season, and while he is still scoring goals there is no need for retirement. It is merely common practice for players to retire in their mid to late 30’s but Romario is a phenomenon. After all as he says himself: “God created me to delight people with my goals.”
Club history
• Olaria Athletic Club - (Brazil 1983-1985)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 1985-1988)
• PSV Eindhoven - (Netherlands 1988-1992)
• FC Barcelona - (Spain) 1992-1994)
• Flamengo - (Brazil 1995-1998)
• Valencia - (Spain 1998-1998)
• Flamengo - (Brazil 1999-2000)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 2000-2001)
• Fluminense - (Brazil 2002-2004)
• Al-Ittihad - (Saudi Arabia 2004-2004)
• Fluminese – (Brazil 2004)
• Vasco da Gama - (Brazil 2005-)
Title history
• Rio de Janeiro Stadual League (1985-1999) - 7 times top scorer 4 titles
• KNVB Cup (1988-1991) - 3 times champion
• Netherland Honor Division (1991) - champion and three times top scorer
• Seoul Olympic Games (1988) - silver medal
• American Cup (1989-1997) - 2 times champion and top scorer
• Spanish League (1994) - champion and top scorer
• FIFA World Cup 1994 - champion and best player
• Confederations Cup (1997) - champion and top scorer
• Brazilian Championship (2000) - champion
Gavin Dunne
---------
Ahhh, Romario, the Legend. One of my favourite players of all time
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