Barcelona Vice-President Joan Gaspart flew to Miami on a desperate course to sign Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima in the summer of 1996 had to disguise as a waiter to get past the security to secure Ronaldo's signature to seal his move to Camp Nou following a troubling end to the late Johan Cryuff's era.
Gaspart said:
"It didn't take long to reach agreement with PSV."
"The fee back then was 1,500,000,000 pesetas (around € 15 million in today's money. But the agreement had a little problem, we needed to get the player's agreement and we needed it before July 15, because that was when the pact with PSV was set to expire."
"However, PSV realised they didn't want to lose the player and they called the CBF in order to stop Ronaldo signing for Barca."
"There were two security guards that didn't want me to go through and see Ronaldo or any other player."
"I met a Spanish waiter in the hotel and he lent me his work clothes, gave me a tray and a Coca Cola,"
"I put on the disguise, said hello to the security guards and told them a guest had asked for a soft drink. This time they let me past."
"I knocked on Ronaldo's door and he himself opened it. The didn't understand what was going on, but amid laughter he called his representatives and the move was agreed. He signed the contract right there, on the bed."The move was announced the following day andRonaldo El Fenomeno spent the 1996/97 at the Camp Nou before heading to Inter Milan then back to Spain this time in the camp of Arch rival Real Madrid...
Subscribe to more news and entertainment via email, rss feeds and please do share our links.
Lets all be informed, Dscus!
Credit: Goal
No comments:
Post a Comment