Rivaldo - Memoirs of the Quintessential Magician

Rivaldo

“With tears in my eyes today I would like first to thank God, my family and all the support, the affection that I received during those 24 years as a player”.

These were the final words of a man who is considered no less than God in his own country as he takes one last look at the beautiful game. The predominant notion of the insanity of Brazilian trequartistas with the ball at their feet was beautifully summed up by this Paulistano. A discrete person who shied away from the media and let his feet do the talking, he was one of the greatest footballers of the modern era.

Early Life

Born as Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira, he is better known as Rivaldo. The mere utterance of that magical name brought about a glow to everyone’s face. After all, poverty and suffering had made such an impact in his life that he conquered all the odds to achieve his greatest dream. Still without some of his teeth, the scar of poverty never left him altogether. And the same scar is what drives him to live life the way it was to be.

Early on at the age of 16, he took up his first challenge at the Paulistano Football Club as he set out to discard the inhibitions of his coaches against his physicality. To his despair, his father passed away the same year and the primordial impulse in him was set to vanish. But then, the mental toughness of this young lad was inspiring as he signed his professional contract in the same year defying all odds.

Rise to Prominence

While Santa Cruz and Palmeiras proved to be his initial reckoning on the big stage, Deportivo was the place where he found solace as he netted 21 goals in a solitary season before moving to the Camp Nou. Barcelona’s proclivity for imbibing Brazilian talent was a magnanimous gift and many of their loyalists were getting over the fact that a certain Brazilian by the name of Ronaldo had left them that summer after an extraordinary season.

To find an equally capable phenomenon with an exquisite footballing brain is a strenuous challenge with no amount of effort culminating in an equal replacement. The chances of a potential downfall was knocking at the doors of Barcelona until they found this man. And they wasted no time in securing a deal for $26 million as Camp Nou was filled with joy over the arrival of their newest star.

His season at Deportivo had raised a few eyebrows among the elite teams as his footballing skills had been spell-binding. With a scoring rate of one goal every two games, he had helped the team finish third in the League and qualify for Europe. Surely, that had got Barcelona running for him.

The Protagonist at Catalonia

The Catalonians welcomed him with open hands as he filled the atmosphere with his indomitable presence and brilliant partnership with Patrick Kluivert. His first season at Catalonia was a dream fulfilled as he won the Spanish Double of La Liga and Copa Del Rey having scored 19 goals in 34 appearances.

The pre-eminent first season was succeeded by an equally splendid second. The onus of the team fell upon his shoulders and it was a position which he relished. He was explicitly mocking Spanish defenses with the frail touch of excellence and sublime quality of football.

As the year ended, Rivaldo was shortlisted for the World Player of the Year 1999 and the Ballon d’or. When the winner was announced, the hard work and unperturbed effort of Rivaldo finally reached a crescendo as he won the Ultimate honour in football.

The presence of such a labored figure in the team was a gift. However, the crippled efforts of Barcelona in their challenge for the Champions League left a lot to be desired in the team. Following a fruitless campaign at Europe, Rivaldo had a fall-out with then manager Louis Van Gaal who wanted to move Rivaldo out of his favoured position. While the debilitated relationship with the manager played a decisive role in his game, he knew no ends as he scored 10 goals in that year’s Champions League campaign as Barcelona lost out to Bayern Munich in the semifinals.

The following seasons were no less for Rivaldo as he continually made a mockery of Spanish defenses and showed the world that football was beyond the chains of poverty and suffering. In a match against Valencia CF, Rivaldo scored a hat-trick which included the famous bicycle kick from just outside the box, arguably the greatest goal of his career.

At the end of the 2001-02 season, Barcelona re-hired Louis Van Gaal and that proved to be the final taking in Rivaldo’s illustrated Barcelona career as he moved to the ‘Temple of Soccer’ signing a three year deal with AC Milan.

The 2002 FIFA World Cup

Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo (R) jubilates after he scored his team’s first goal during the England/Brazil quarterfinal match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

While his club career was celebrated, his disproportionate achievements on the national stage was always a black spot on his career. He wiped this off as he finally won the World Cup in 2002 in Asia. He was part of the famous trio that proved themselves too hot to handle as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo picked apart every defense in the Championships and brought home their Fifth World Cup. Rivaldo scored in the first five games of the World Cup as he decimated every opponent he faced.

While the zenith of his career was achieved here, there was a potential cheapskate incident by Rivaldo dissembling one of the greatest football careers. In the closing stages of the match, with the ball out of play, Turkish defender Hakan Unsal kicked a ball towards Rivaldo, who was waiting at the corner flag. The ball struck his thigh, but Rivaldo fell to the ground clutching his face.

The referee sent the Turkish player off with a second yellow card. After a video review, Rivaldo was fined heavily by the FIFA.

This disgrace will always remain the prejudicial black spot of his footballing genius as the credibility of his humane qualities remained a distinct question after. However, the footballing abilities overshadowed all those doubts as Rivaldo was called the best player of the tournament by his coach Luis Felipe Scolari.

The ‘three Rs’ of Brazil had been decisive in winning the World Cup but there still remained an empty cabinet on Rivlado’s room of treasures – A champions League victory.

Champions League and a relocation to Greece

While a highly successful first season at the San Siro sought to the fact that his cabaret was full with a title at the pinnacle of European football, game time was quite hard to come by.

This resulted in a loan to Cruzeiro but that was a temporary setting as he moved to Greek side Olympiacos a year later. In his three years at Olympiacos, he fulfilled everything there was to do in Greek Football by winning the League thrice and the Cup twice. His 41 goals in 91 games animated the fact that he was still in his prime.

But, once he was out of Olympiacos, his career started declining into the shadows as the world celebrated some of its newest stars in Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi. However aged though he may be, his love for the game and a childish happiness in having a ball at his feet never quite left him as he continued playing till the age of 42.

His Legacy

Amidst not so much fanfare, Rivaldo announced retirement at the age of 42.

Two weeks ago, Rivaldo called curtains on his prestigious career and emanated emotional responses from his fans all over the world as they watched their idol, one of football’s greatest players step down. The man who had achieved so much from the underwhelming despair of life had inspired millions around the world. The story of Rivaldo portrays extraordinary dedication, immense passion, an innate ability to inspire and above all a testimony which makes people believe in themselves.

The greatest regret of Rivaldo’s career is the fact that he is never placed in the same bracket as Zidane, Pele and Maradona. But, I believe we could do more than to implant him in the same bracket as he retreats into the dusk still acclaimed as one of the finest attacking midfielders ever.

Spanish football expert John Carlin wrote that Rivaldo “combines to dazzling effect the two essential qualities of the ideal footballer: artistry and efficiency”.

Would there be a better way to sum up one of the most celebrated careers in World football? I believe not.