Now it’s Ronaldo’s weight — not his goals — that is attracting all the attention in Brazilian soccer.
The question everybody was asking in Brazil on Thursday was whether the soccer star had weight reduction surgery on the sly while repairing his broken hand, or if it was just speculation from local media.
Ronaldo is not speaking and his club Corinthians is neither confirming nor denying that the striker had the surgery while he was in hospital to repair a broken hand.
Several local media are reporting, based on unnamed sources, that doctors removed 70cm of fat from Ronaldo’s waist on Wednesday.
“There are certain things a doctor can talk about, but others only with the consent of the patient,” Corinthians doctor Joaquim Grava told the Terra Web site. “I am not allowed to confirm if the [surgery] has been done or not.”
Terra said doctors used a different name for Ronaldo at the hospital to keep anyone from finding out about whether he underwent the weight reduction surgery.
The hospital is not confirming the possible surgery and Corinthians’ press office said only that the team does not discuss the personal lives of its players.
“If he did have the surgery, Ronaldo will be flying even more than he was already,” Corinthians goalkeeper Felipe said. “It will be good for us. If he really had the surgery and is thinner, it will be a problem for the other teams.”
Ronaldo has been thriving in his return to soccer after being sidelined for more than a year because of his third serious knee injury. Since making his debut with Corinthians in March, Ronaldo has scored 17 times in 27 matches and helped the club win the Sao Paulo state championship and the Brazilian Cup.
He acknowledged, however, that he remained slightly out of shape and that losing the remaining kilograms that still kept him overweight was particularly hard.
The 32-year-old Ronaldo was expected to undergo the surgery later in the year, after the end of the season, but took advantage of the hand injury to have the procedure now, GloboEsporte.com said.
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