AC Milan striker Ronaldo, the top scorer in soccer World Cup history, suffered a knee injury last night that may put his career in jeopardy.
The 31-year-old Brazilian left the field in tears on a stretcher after rupturing his left kneecap ligament during a 1-1 draw against Livorno at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, his club said on its Web site.
Adriano Galliani, Milan's managing director, said doctors will know whether surgery is needed in the next few days. The Gazetta dello Sport said Ronaldo, who holds the World Cup record with 15 career goals, may be out nine months to a year, possibly ending his career.
``We're all very sad and worried about what happened to Ronaldo,'' Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti was quoted saying by the Web site. ``I don't want to say his career is over because only time can put the word end to his career.''
A three-time world soccer player of the year, Ronaldo joined Milan in January 2007 for 7.5 million euros ($10.9 million) from Real Madrid. He previously missed 17 months with a knee injury while playing for Inter Milan.
``When you break something in your knee it's very serious,'' said Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac. ``He doesn't deserve this.''
Ronaldo had only been on the field for a short time when he went down in the penalty area as he attempted to jump for a ball. He was taken to the Galeazzi hospital in Milan, the team said.
``When Ronie cried, I hugged him, the tears fell on me too, but I told him we would stay close to him,'' Galliani told the Web site. ``Milan have already shown in the past they don't abandon players who suffer injuries, and the same will go for Ronaldo.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=agq84_FVK5MY&refer=latin_america
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