"All of them refused?"
Inside AC Milan's manager's office in Milan, Ancelotti looked at the gloomy expression on the returning sporting director Leonardo and sighed.
The summer window was like this.The winter window, too.
He had thought AC Milan's strong performance in the first half of the season would be enough to attract some young players.But in reality, the shadow of the "Calciopoli" scandal still lingered.
The defensive signings were relatively stable.No blockbuster deals, and nothing particularly exciting either.
Simunic was a decent addition, improving Milan's aerial defense.But all the better central defenders had turned them down.
The plan to reinforce the front line was a total failure.
Currently, the Milan front line revolved solely around Suker.Many promising young players didn't want to compete with him—or were simply afraid to.They felt they couldn't outshine him and thus chose other clubs.
As for players in their prime, they wanted guaranteed starting roles. They wouldn't settle for being backups to Suker.It would be like asking Henry to be a benchwarmer for Suker.Impossible!
After going around in circles, they ended up back where they started.
"Let's reach out to Ronaldo," Ancelotti sighed.
Once the dream striker for any coach, now… can the "Fat Ronaldo" still run?That was the critical question.
But Ancelotti had no choice.
Gilardino's form had dropped severely.Inzaghi was in a similar situation.Ancelotti couldn't keep relying on Suker to play across all competitions without rest.Suker needed breaks!So, the idea was to bring in a backup striker to allow Suker to focus more on the Champions League or Serie A.
Truth be told, Ancelotti and AC Milan were simply too greedy.
In Madrid, Spain.
After a grueling week, Ronaldo was about to sign with a Brazilian club when his agent finally received a call from AC Milan.
Real Madrid also received AC Milan's offer:7.5 million euros!Milan stated they would not increase the bid by even a single euro.
For Real Madrid, they were desperate to sell Ronaldo.Ronaldo, too, was willing to join AC Milan.If they didn't accept the offer, Ronaldo might just stay and run down his contract, and they wouldn't even be able to get this amount for him in a couple of years.
The transfer moved quickly.
The bid came in the morning; by afternoon, AC Milan's sporting director had flown to Spain to finalize things.
In front of the media cameras, Ronaldo smiled broadly.He successfully joined AC Milan in the winter window—only needing to pass the medical exam.
Unfortunately, due to UEFA rules, Ronaldo wouldn't be eligible to play in the Champions League, having joined in the winter.Teams must submit their Champions League rosters at the start of the season.
In addition to Ronaldo, Lazio's fullback Oddo also joined Milan.A classic case of "better late than never" for Ancelotti.
January arrived quietly.
The leagues were about to restart, and Suker returned to Milan.At the training base, many players were already present.
Ricardo Oliveira was working hard.He had become something of a meme in Serie A—A Brazilian who couldn't dribble—confusing fans, yet funny enough to become a running joke.
Maldini and the other veterans had used the winter break to regroup.After the break, they were clearly refreshed.
And then—Suker saw a shiny bald head.
A round figure stood on the training ground, foot on the ball, smiling with his trademark buck teeth.His honest smile, rounder face, and slightly bulging belly made people want to give him a squeeze.
In fact, someone had already done just that.
Kaka—being mischievous—walked over and began poking and squishing Ronaldo's belly, even fiddling with the flab on his chin.
Suker walked into the field after changing, just in time to see the awkward look on Ronaldo's face.Still, with his easy-going nature, he didn't lash out.
Others didn't know why Ronaldo had gained weight.But Suker, a devoted fan, knew the truth.
It was due to hormone treatment.A painful part of Ronaldo's story.
Slap!Suker smacked Kaka's hand.
"Let go," he snapped. "Daring to touch everyone's idol, huh?"
Kaka rubbed his hand and muttered, "We're national teammates."
Suker glared at him. He didn't need to say more.Kaka, a fellow foodie, was immediately cowed.
Suker had control over Kaka's appetite—it was an unbeatable leverage.
Turning to Ronaldo, Suker smiled and extended a hand."Welcome to AC Milan."
Ronaldo looked at him with a grateful gaze."Thank you."
Honestly, Suker didn't want Ronaldo as a teammate.From a rational standpoint, he couldn't guarantee Ronaldo's competitiveness.But emotionally—and as a lifelong fan—he couldn't say no to this chubby legend.
On the first day of training, Suker saw what made Ronaldo special.His temperament was remarkable.
Kaka's constant belly poking and head tapping—Suker would have decked him by now.But Ronaldo? He just laughed it off.
He quickly blended with the team.But his first challenge soon arrived:
Pre-season physical tests.
In the stamina test, Ronaldo dropped out halfway.And on the scales, he weighed in at 100 kg, making him the heaviest in the squad.
Ancelotti looked at the report, frowning deeply.
"You can't play like this. You need to lose weight," he said earnestly.
Suker watched closely.Others didn't know, but Suker did—Ronaldo's weight gain was due to medication and couldn't be easily reversed.
Ronaldo's expression turned conflicted.Then he suddenly looked up and asked, "Do you want me to run, or do you want me to score goals?"
Ancelotti was momentarily stunned.Run or score?
Why not both?
Suker could run and score.But Ronaldo clearly couldn't run anymore.
"I can score goals. I promise you that. At the very least, I can carry the team's scoring load when Suker is resting."
Everyone looked at Ronaldo—he sure was confident.
In the end, the weight-loss issue was brushed aside.Ronaldo officially joined AC Milan.
He became the only player in the squad to fail the medical—yet still be signed.
At Suker's villa,
Kaka asked over dinner, "Do you think Ronaldo can help us?"
Suker replied, "How should I know? You're his national teammate—you should know better."
Kaka went quiet.Truthfully, the last World Cup had made things very clear.
Brazil had big names, but many were past their peak.They lacked intensity.Ronaldo wasn't the same alien who could bulldoze an entire defense on his own.
"Let's hope so," Kaka sighed.
He was genuinely worried.
The second half of the season was packed with crucial matches.Suker would be under immense pressure.
He needed a backup to cover cup matches and some league games.That's why Ronaldo was brought in.
But having sat half a season on Real Madrid's bench, nobody knew what condition Ronaldo was truly in.
The good news?In training, even though he couldn't run, Ronaldo still showed off his superb finishing—scoring many goals.
Maybe Ronaldo was right.Even without running much, he could still score.
And all of this would be put to the test once the league resumed.
Outside the club, the media had a field day with Ronaldo's arrival.
Many claimed Serie A had become a "retirement league."
With Figo and now Ronaldo joining, they argued that the Calciopoli scandal had drained Serie A's appeal.
If the transfer market couldn't recover its influence, the league would attract more retirees and fewer elite stars.
And as for Ronaldo joining Milan?Most weren't optimistic.
Catalonia Daily went so far as to describe him as:
"The Fatty Who Can't Run."