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Former club president reveals bizarre way he convinced Ronaldo to join top La Liga club

- Ronaldo Nazario De Lima joined Barcelona in 1996 from Dutch side PSV

- It took the then Barcelona president Joan Gaspart to break security check to reach Ronaldo

- Ronaldo scored a remarkable 47 goals in 51 games and won the UEFA Cup with Barca

Ronaldo Nazario De Lima arguably played his best football when he joined La Liga giants Barcelona in 1996 when he made a switch from Dutch side PSV.

The Spanish side coughed out £13.5m fee to sign the Brazilian striker as he preferred a move to Camp Nou over Inter Milan.

Ronaldo went on to score an outstanding 47 goals in 51 games in his first season before his shock departure to Inter for a then world record fee.

READ ALSO: Jose Mourinho tempted by Roma with massive 3-year deal

But it took more than just a hefty price tag to land the striker who at his peak as former Barcelona President Joan Gaspart recalled how he dressed ike a waiter to convince the World Cup winner.

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"The signing of Ronaldo was out of a film," he told the YouTube channel Idolos.

"There was a problem because PSV [Eindhoven] backed out of selling him to us and included a clause in his contract that cancelled the transfer if the player didn't sign by a certain date.

"The days went by and Ronaldo's contract didn't arrive, so Jose Luis Nunez [the president before Gaspart] sent me to Miami, where the Brazilian national teamwere based, to make him sign it.

"I arrived and wasn't able to see Ronaldo very easily. There were some bouncers at his door in the hotel and they had orders not to let anyone through. I couldn't beat the two-metre-tall bouncers up because they'd have sent my flying with a single punch, but something occurred to me.

"I managed to get a hotel waiter to lend me his bow tie and jacket and he gave me a tray with a Coca-Cola on it. I went up to the floor the team were on in the lift and there were two bouncers there. I told them I had a drink for Ronaldo and I went in.

"I introduced myself to Ronaldo and he called his agent and told them that he'd been caught. I told him that we'd complain if he didn't sign and, in the end, an agreement was sped up. We hugged on the bed in his hotel room and finalised everything."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Brazilian football legend Ronaldo De Lima has stated clearly that Lionel Messi gets too much credit for Barcelona's victories and receives no blame for defeats.

This comes after Barcelona's Champions League exit against Premier League giants Liverpool in which the club's manager Ernesto Valverde and Philippe Coutinho were blamed.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better.

I didn't beg Messi for his jersey - Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Ezenwa| Legit TV

Source: Legit



from Nigeria News Today & Breaking Naija News 24/7 | LEGIT.NG http://bit.ly/2WTYYYE
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