The incredible reason why a World Cup winner coach rejected a 17-year-old Ronaldo Nazario

At the beginning of 1994, a 17-year-old striker was playing for Cruzeiro and was tearing up the Brazilian league under the nickname of the new Pele. His club wanted to sell him as soon as possible because money was needed, and offered him to Boca Juniors, at that moment managed by Cesar Luis Menotti, coach of the Argentina national team that won the World Cup in 1978.

Menotti rejected Ronaldo Nazario, and then regretted it. Because in April, R9 destroyed Boca Juniors at Copa Libertadores with the winning goal of a 2-1 win. Some months later, he will be called up to the World Cup, that Brazil won, although he did not play any games. According to TyC Sports, Menotti was asked years later about the reason behind that rejection, and the reply was unexpected.

Menotti said that Ronaldo did not know how to play soccer. He told he knows he is a good player, but he just does not know how to touch the ball. Technique was always very important to Menotti, but that decision he took in 1994 will be remembered as his worst mistake ever.

Ronaldo Nazario left Cruzeiro with 56 goals in 58 matches and then established himself as one of the best players ever, scoring insane amounts of goals at PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, Inter,  Real Madrid, Milan, and Corinthians at club level. And of course, winning a World Cup in 2002 scoring the two goals of the final.