12/25/2025
๐ฃ๏ธ Lilian Thuram: "The first time I faced Ronaldo Nazรกrio I was at Parma and he was at Inter. The game started and after a while, I found myself face to face with him. He would line you up and caress the ball in a way that was so unusual it left you mesmerised. All of that at a speed never seen before.
That day he dribbled past me, left me frozen, and was heading straight for goal. I yelled at Cannavaro: 'Take him down, take him down.' Fabio fouled him and the ref booked him. On the next play, he pushed the ball forward at full speed and I had to foul him. Right then, Fabio looked at me and whispered: 'Lilian, weโre going to end up with 9 men tonight. How do we stop this guy?'
Ronaldo heard it all, came over to us, and with very basic Italian, said: 'Sorry, Iโm overdoing it.' Cannavaro and I looked at each other and didnโt say a word. With those words, he made us feel so small, almost powerless. That was also part of being the Phenomenon. At the end of the match, I didnโt hesitate to go ask him for his jersey." ๐คฉ
