Ronaldo wants players to be heard over fixtures

Brazil striker Ronaldo wants soccer's authorities to listen to the players before adding to an ever growing fixture list.

At present, nobody cares about the consequences of too much football, he said in an interview with Reuters.

Ronaldo also defended the multi-million dollar salaries earned by modern-day players, described Argentine and Uruguayan defenders as specialists in provocation and said he would continue to play for Brazil for as long as he enjoyed it.

Ronaldo fell victim to fixture congestion problems earlier this year when he landed himself in hot water by asking Brazil to rest him from the Confederations Cup.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who had warned that the national team was more important than holidays, eventually agreed -- but also released him from the preceding two World Cup qualifiers, including one away to Argentina.

"I fought to have my holidays respected, otherwise one season would have run into the other and in the year before the World Cup this would have been complicated," said the Real Madrid player.

"The players don't have time to unwind. In Europe we have two competitions which are very important, the Spanish championship and the Champions League, and this gives you very little time to recover."

"I think the right thing would be for the players' opinions to be heard. We're the ones who put on the show, we go onto the field, we play every weekend, sometimes twice a week, so I think it would be important to hear what we've got to say."

"But this doesn't happen at the moment. Unfortunately, the players as a profession are not united and not many people listen to us."

"When they draw up the calendar, the last thing they think about is the physical condition of the players. Nobody thinks about whether we can complete a year playing three competitions, other things are more important."

Although he did not enjoy being dropped by Brazil, Ronaldo says the incident is water under the bridge as he gears up for his fourth World Cup in Germany next year.

After sitting on the bench as a 17-year-old in 1994, failing to meet expectations in 1998 and resurrecting his career from the misery of two knee injuries in 2002, he sees 2006 as what he calls the "confirmation".

"I'm very keen, I'm very motivated for this World Cup and I hope to help win another title for the Brazil team," he said.

Despite reports that this will be his last World Cup, Ronaldo, who turns 30 next year, has set no date for his international retirement.

"Maybe there was a wrong interpretation," he said. "My aim was always to keep playing for Brazil and keep playing football as long as I got pleasure from doing this. It's not about a certain date, a certain period."

He does not see any Greek-style Euro 2004 upsets next year and is unconcerned about who Brazil may have to face on the way.

"I don't think there's room for that kind of surprise at the World Cup," he said of the European champions.

"You might get the odd surprise in the first round, maybe one of the favourites getting knocked out, but I think the favourites are the same ones as usual, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy."

"We have to be ready to face any team," he added.

He had no doubt, however, about the two most frustrating opponents.

"It's true that the South American players, in particular the Argentines and Uruguayans, use more gamesmanship and always try to provoke their opponents."

"These two countries are the specialists in provocation, let's say."

"When the ball's up the other end of the field, they kick you from behind, they insult your mother, they do everything they can to provoke and make you lose your temper."

Off the field, Ronaldo's private life has recently been exposed as rarely before, especially following his short-lived engagement to Brazilian model Daniella Cicarelli.

He is frequently followed by paparazzi and the latest reminder of his lack of privacy came this week when a popular newspaper took a picture of him flying a kite on the balcony of his huge Rio de Janeiro penthouse.

"I've been famous since I was 16 and so I'm completely used to this," he said.

"When it's children, the elderly, or when people are polite, it's nice attention, it's enjoyable. But a lot of people don't know how to approach you in an educated manner and then it becomes a pain."

He added: "They think that because we're famous, we play football and we're well-paid, then we have to put up with everything."

"But there's a limit for everything and, as well as being footballers, we're normal people and we want to have our life as well."

Being paid millions of dollars for kicking a ball around a pitch is something which Ronaldo believes is justified.

"I think so," he said when asked if he deserved his salary.

"I think we provide joy and happiness for a lot of people. Football is a business which generates millions and millions of dollars and I think we're the biggest stars in football, so I think we must be well paid to do this."

He added that footballers also tried to make a positive contribution in return.

"I've been a United Nations ambassador for eight years and I'm very active with a lot of missions," he said.

"I would like more players to take part in these things, there are quite a few involved today but it's still not enough."

"In our condition as superstars, we have credibility. This type of social work is important and I think footballers have to use their image to pass on a positive message."