Jun 10, 2006, 18:18 GMT
Koenigstein, Germany - Ronaldo overweight? There were enough who thought so - even Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva. Until late Friday, that is.
That's when he sent a telegram to the national team star, apologising for touching on the touchy subject, and wishing the team well as they prepare for Tuesday's World Cup opener against Croatia.
It was 'very nice' of the president to write, Ronaldio said Saturday on his homepage from the squad's Koenigstein training camp. Let there now be an end to the overweight discussion - all Brazilians now should get behind the team, he added.
Lula, the president, had asked coach Carlos Alberto Parreira during an earlier video link-up eagerly watched by the football-mad nation: 'Well, is he too fat, or isn't he?'
That prompted the 29-year-old Friday to hit out at what he called exaggerated stories of his weight, plus his nightlife and his blisters, and to be shown more respect by the Brazilian press.
Looking visibly upset, he indignantly argued that being within three goals of beating Gerd Muller's record of 14 World Cup goals meant he deserved to be asked about other things.
Questions about his weight were 'of interest to nobody.' Tales of late nights out were 'stories from the last World Cup' - 'we had free-time back in 2002 and what do you think we did then?'
Teammates Kaka and Robinho backed the striker. 'I don't know how long we're all going to have to keep on about this subject,' Kaka said Friday evening at the training camp. 'And I don't know how we're supposed to prove that it isn't the case.'
Robinho, a Real Madrid strike partner, said that as far as he was concerned, Ronaldo remained 'the best striker in the world.'
He had been asked by a Spanish reporter: 'You're in the dressing room with Ronaldo, so you should know - is Ronaldo really too fat?'
Robinho did add, though, that 'his body build has changed a lot in comparison to 1997, when this skinny youngster played for Barcelona. Now he's bigger and stronger.'
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