Former Brazil striker Romario has officially announced his retirement - again.
The 42-year-old striker said he would not return to competitive play and had ended a 23-year career that includes the 1994 World Cup title, the FIFA player of the year award and more than 1,000 goals, by his own count. And, unlike several previous retirement announcements when he later changed his mind, Romario insisted he wouldn't turn back this time.
"My time is over," he said at the launch of a DVD showing 910 of his goals on Monday. "Officially, I might play a farewell game with the jersey of the national team or one of the three clubs I defended in Rio," he added, referring to former national champions Vasco, Flamengo and Fluminense.
Romario's contract with Vasco ended last month. He said he hadn't played since November and was four kilograms over his playing weight, which made his return difficult at an age when most players have already stopped.
He told a Brazilian newspaper last month he was retiring, but then recanted the next day.
Romario burst on to the soccer scene in 1985 with Vasco, with a sprinter's speed and masterly ball control that made him a worthy successor to Vasco's all-star striker Roberto "Dynamite."
Three years later, he was sold to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven for US$5 million - a huge sum at the time - and was later inducted into the club's hall of fame.
In 1993, he jumped to Spain's Barcelona, where former Dutch all-star and coach Johan Cruyff dubbed him a "genius of the goal area." Romario led his new club to the Spanish league title and was named the world's outstanding player by FIFA in 1994.
After a falling-out with Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, Romario returned to the national team in 1994 and led Brazil to its fourth World Cup title, teaming up with striker Bebeto to end a 24-year drought for soccer's top prize.
In 1995, he returned to Brazil and played for rivals Vasco, Fluminense and Flamengo. His standout play sparked a national "draft Romario" campaign for the 2002 World Cup, but coach Luiz Felipe Scolari declined to name the player to the team that won its fifth Cup title that year.
Romario made his last foray abroad in 2003, playing for Al Saad in Qatar, Miami FC in the United States and Adelaide United in Australia. But he scored few goals and returned to Brazil in quest of his 1000th goal - a mark achieved only by the great Pele.
He reached the landmark last year, although FIFA officially gave him a much lower total. Romario's count included goals scored in amateur games, scrimmages and unofficial matches against small clubs.
As player-coach of Vasco, Romario remained a major attraction for fans even after he had lost his speed and stamina.
Last year, he tested positive for the banned substance Finasteride and was suspended for 120 days in December. Romario said he had used the hair-loss medicine Propecia, which contains Finasteride, and the Superior Tribunal of Sports Justice later accepted his claim that he did not take a performance-enhancing drug and lifted the suspension.
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