Ronaldo blasts Pele and Platini
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-03-14 08:41

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Troubled Brazil forward Ronaldo launched an astonishing attack on two of football's legends, Pele and Michel Platini, in Sunday's edition of Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

The overweight and under-fire Real Madrid galactico branded Pele, commonly regarded as the greatest player ever, as a "two-bob opportunist" and hit out at European legend Platini as "jealous".

Ronaldo's outburst comes after his latest failing on the football field. He started Saturday's vital league match at Valencia on the bench but came on in the second half only to have a penalty saved.

The striker has already spent much of the season under fire from Real's expectant fans and Madrid's demanding media.

"At the World Cup, I will make a lot of people eat their words," declared a defiant Ronaldo, showing more fight than he has been accused of displaying in the white shirt of his club.

"I was disappointed with Pele, he's a two-bob opportunist," added Ronaldo, who proceeded to allude that the great goalscorer would be better off looking after his family amid allegations his son is involved in a drug trafficking scandal.

"I care nothing for Platini. I have a French teammate friend (Zinedine Zidane) who has surpassed everything he ever did and he has always told me that Platini is jealous."

After denigrating two of the world's greats, Ronaldo then somewhat ironically, added: "All I want is for people to treat me with respect and that is not what is happening.

"I am not saving myself for the World Cup. I want to do a lot to arrive in Germany full of confidence. I want to rediscover my happiness."

Ronaldo's outburst will further sew the seeds of discontent at Madrid which is already reeling from a period of instability with changes at the top.

The club have a temporary coach and club president Florentino Perez quit his post earlier this month, with the inevitability of another season without a trophy following their midweek Champions League defeat to Arsenal and a huge deficit to Barcelona in the league.