Christian Vieri revealed just how great a player Ronaldo was during the height of his career. Ronaldo’s career was unfortunately derailed by injuries. However, the Brazilian is still regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.
Vieri and Ronaldo were teammates at Inter Milan from 1999 until 2002. The talented strikers formed a formidable attacking duo for Inter, winning the UEFA Cup in 1998.
The Italian Serie A was considered by many within the soccer community to be the world’s top league during that period.
Vieri played alongside a who’s who of all-time greats during his career, which also included stints at Juventus, Atletico Madrid, and AC Milan. Still, he was in awe of Ronaldo’s ability to beat elite-level defenders with ease and score goals.
“‘R9’ [was the most incredible player I’ve ever seen play]. He was another level,” Vieri said during his appearance on Chad Ochocinco’s The Late Run.
Cristian Vieri Reveals Just How Great Ronaldo Was
Christian Vieri revealed how great Ronaldo was after seeing him perform in their very first training session as teammates. Vieri recalled many of his friends asking him to get a better idea of just how great of a player the Brazilian was. He said all the two-time World Cup winner was exactly as advertised.
“I wanted to play with [Ronaldo]. And when I met him, I said I have come here because you know what happens to big stars. They never get along. It always happens that I am better than you, and you are better than me. I said, ‘My friend, I have come to play with you.’ And from that moment, we became best friends on and off the field,” Vieri told The Late Run.
He continued:
“When we first started training together, I said, I want to see how it is. Because, like you said, you watch videos and say, ‘This is no normal.’ Friends would tell me, ‘After the game, call me,'” Vieri recalled. “He was dribbling everyone, he was scoring. I was saying, ‘What?’ I was just laughing. He was as fast as Carl Lewis, Ben Johnson, just as fast. He could run 100 meters and so much technique, and he started dribbling. You just couldn’t stop him.”
Vieri Recalls Ex-Inter Milan Teammate’s Career-Threatening Injury
Vieri also recalled Ronaldo’s career-threatening injury during his time at Inter Milan. The Brazilian suffered a serious injury that led to the Italian to question whether he would be able to play again.
Vieri said he was in awe of Ronaldo’s miraculous recovery, which culminated in a World Cup victory. Ronaldo reached the World Cup final for the third straight tournament and won his second trophy with Brazil. However, this time the Brazilian icon won the trophy as a key contributor.
“I was very happy to play with such a player for three years and then his knee broke for two years. So I used to go to his house, and he used to say, ‘Bobo, my knee. I don’t know if I will be able to play again.’ Then he won the World Cup,” Vieri told The Late Run. “I have never seen anyone like this in my life. And the fact that he had that injury where his knee came out of the tendon, that completely changes your game.”
Christian Vieri Reveals Just How Great Brazilian Legend Ronaldo Was