Rivaldo ages with style and grace....

[Filho]

...Latapy style No longer in the limelight and often underappreciated in his prime, this veteran is still producing the goods and has become an absolute Greek legend.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/02/21/bc.soccer.europe.greece.rivaldo/index.html

ATHENS, Greece (Reuters) -- Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo said on Wednesday he was likely to extend his contract with Greek champion Olympiakos Piraeus until June 2008.

Rivaldo, who joined Olympiakos in 2004, was due to return home to end his playing career in Brazil. But the 35-year-old has told Greek media he expects to stay on for one more year.

"I'm very happy here, so is my family," Rivaldo told state-run NET TV. "I'm very fond of Olympiakos and I would be delighted to end my career in Piraeus."

Since joining the club, Rivaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, has helped Olympiakos to consecutive domestic league and cup doubles in 2005 and 2006.

Although it has been knocked out of the Greek Cup this season, Olympiakos is 11 points clear at the top of the Super League and Rivaldo is joint top scorer with 13 goals in 22 games.

[Cantona007]

rivaldo... one of the last of the classic, elegant Brazilian midfielders... always a joy to watch 

[Andre]

rivaldo... one of the last of the classic, elegant Brazilian midfielders... always a joy to watch 

wha about kaka man? he still young.

anyhow, i still doh understand how a boss player so end up in the greek league.

next stop back 2 brazil?

[banton]

better than ronaldinlho by far 

[Cantona007]

rivaldo... one of the last of the classic, elegant Brazilian midfielders... always a joy to watch 

wha about kaka man? he still young.

anyhow, i still doh understand how a boss player so end up in the greek league.

next stop back 2 brazil?

That's why I said "one of the last"; respect to Kaka though   but for me it was Rivaldo. Real surprised he ended up in Greece but it seems to suit him... looks like he wants to end his career there.

[asylumseeker]

What's wrong with Greece? Given Rivaldo's history and path I'm sure he'll be the first not to cast aspersions on the Greek league.

In 17 years Rivaldo has played for TEN clubs. He's played 50 or more matches for only 3 of these teams.

On the facts, Rivaldo could have gone to Greece and failed. However, he's managed to wrap up his career with both achievement and credibility (the credibility provided by Olympiakos and the Greek league and being in Europe).

I am a HUGE Rivaldo fan. But let's separate matters. Let's not get tied up by equating Greece's patchy international record with the calibre of play available there. It's not a 'fashionable' league but rigorous ball is played there.

In addition, there are other leagues in Europe, in which fancied, global-branded teams compete, that do not exhibit tremendous depth within the top flight of teams.

As of the 2006-07 season, the league is entitled to two entrants in the UEFA Champions League. The champion directly enters the group stage, while the runner-up must survive a two-legged tie in the third qualifying round to advance to the group stage. The winner of the Greek Cup automatically enters the UEFA Cup, as well as the teams that finish third through fifth in the Super League. If the cup winner is qualified for European competition by its league position, the losing cup finalist is granted a UEFA Cup berth. If both cup finalists are qualified for Europe by their league position, the sixth-place team in the Super League is granted a UEFA Cup berth.

[Jah Gol]

In addition, there are other leagues in Europe, in which fancied, global-branded teams compete, that do not exhibit tremendous depth within the top flight of teams.

Take for instance the EPL.

[vb]

Olympiakos is a respected team.

It's like ending up at Celtic and asking why the Scottish league.

In your twilight years, you go with the money and other factors as well.


Peace,
VB

[triniairman]

rivaldo... one of the last of the classic, elegant Brazilian midfielders... always a joy to watch 

wha about kaka man? he still young.

anyhow, i still doh understand how a boss player so end up in the greek league.

next stop back 2 brazil?

Better Greece than the MLS

[kicker]

Under all the old talk, how many Trini players could play at the top flight in Greece....serious question.

[Tenorsaw]

What's wrong with Greece? Given Rivaldo's history and path I'm sure he'll be the first not to cast aspersions on the Greek league.

In 17 years Rivaldo has played for TEN clubs. He's played 50 or more matches for only 3 of these teams.

On the facts, Rivaldo could have gone to Greece and failed. However, he's managed to wrap up his career with both achievement and credibility (the credibility provided by Olympiakos and the Greek league and being in Europe).

I am a HUGE Rivaldo fan. But let's separate matters. Let's not get tied up by equating Greece's patchy international record with the calibre of play available there. It's not a 'fashionable' league but rigorous ball is played there.

In addition, there are other leagues in Europe, in which fancied, global-branded teams compete, that do not exhibit tremendous depth within the top flight of teams.

As of the 2006-07 season, the league is entitled to two entrants in the UEFA Champions League. The champion directly enters the group stage, while the runner-up must survive a two-legged tie in the third qualifying round to advance to the group stage. The winner of the Greek Cup automatically enters the UEFA Cup, as well as the teams that finish third through fifth in the Super League. If the cup winner is qualified for European competition by its league position, the losing cup finalist is granted a UEFA Cup berth. If both cup finalists are qualified for Europe by their league position, the sixth-place team in the Super League is granted a UEFA Cup berth.

Honestly, Greek teams have fallen off from where they were in the late 1990s.  Teams like Panathinaikos, Olipiacos and AEK Athens were tough teams to play in the Champions League.  They were very competitive teams and the so-called "big teams" could not take them for granted.  Same goes for Turkish football.  Fenerbache and Galatasaray have fallen off a bit.  Dem teams used to be real scary match-ups.

[Bianconeri]

first brazilian i really liked...and i aint a brazil supporter...
Pele, Romario etc..
yeh but Rivaldo is a diff breed yes...
the dredest thing was to see him shoot and his whole leg goin across his body and him falling down...but he scoring though!
i like their style but aint ma side like 99% of Trinidad(who not backin them now since they do mess in WC)

ITALIA all the way since '90

[Tallman]

Rivaldo retires from football
ESPN

World Cup winner and former World Player of the Year Rivaldo has announced that he has retired from football.

The Brazilian, 41, won the World Cup in 2002 and also the Champions League in 2003, while he was named the best player on the planet in 1999 during an impressive five-year stint with Spanish club Barcelona.

However, after missing almost an entire season for Milan in 2003-04, Rivaldo has spent the last decade at clubs in Greece, Uzbekistan and back in his native Brazil -- most recently at Sao Paulo-based side Mogi Mirim (where he played alongside his son.)

And he has now chosen to hang up his boots, after revealing on Instagram:

"With tears in my eyes today I would like first to thank God, my family and all the support, the affection that I received during those 24 years as a player. Today I communicate to all my fans in the world , my history as a player came to the end.

"Just I have to thank the lovely career I have built over this years. There were many obstacles, challenges, waivers, longings, disappointments, but were much greater joys, achievements, growth, change. Sometimes teaching other learning but never lost my focus, always with dedication, determination and direction of God. In this long journey, many people passed through my life, some for a period, other friends who remain until now.

"I built my career upon a miracle, leaving in Paulista, no financial resources, no businessman, incentives only of my family, discredited by doctors and trainers , saw a distant dream come true. With persistence, dedication and especially with the hand of God, I came to be recognized as the best player in the world, world champion, among many other important titles in the history of football.

"Among trophies, medals, awards and titles, in a land where everything is consumed, here I leave a story, perhaps an example, but surely a testimony that is worth believing and fighting. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

[asylumseeker]

Just last week again viewed him playing at the WC ... incredible baller. One of my favourites. There's his deftness with the ball, but there was also a lot of sublime, understated stuff he contributed to Ronaldo that could so easily go unnoticed. A tyrant with the ball at his feet.

[asylumseeker]

Barca's tribute to him:

The now former striker is unquestionably one of the greatest players ever to play for Barça. He excelled here for five years between 1997 and 2002. Rivaldo (Recife, Brazil, 1972) arrived from Deportivo la Coruña for the 1997/98 season, as a direct replacement for his compatriot Ronaldo. Tall and strong, he did so brilliantly with the kind of skill rarely seen before, a tremendous left foot, exquisite dribbling ability, a powerful shot and an outstanding capacity to score from set pieces.

Best in the world 1999

He wasn’t a natural centre forward, but tended instead to play out wide or just behind the attack, but still managed to score an astonishing amount of goals for FC Barcelona: 136 in 253 appearances. He was always a discrete person who preferred to so his talking on the pitch, and was rewarded with the Ballon d’Or in 1999.

Some of the fondest memories of his time at FCB include a famous hat-trick at the San Siro, a brace (with another goal inexplicably disallowed) at the Bernabéu in 2000/01, and most of all his spectacular last-minute overhead kick against Valencia to ensure qualification for the following season’s Champions League. At Barcelona, Rivaldo won two leagues, one cup and one European Supercup.

After winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, Rivaldo left Barça to spend two seasons at AC Milan. Since then, he also played for clubs in Brazil, Greece, Uzbekistan and Angola. He is currently president of Brazilian Serie C club Mogi Mirim, where is son Rivaldinho is among the playing squad.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/rivaldo-announces-retirement

[fari]

a real legend...will never forget his bicycle kick against manu in the 98-99 champions league. 

[boss]

[Tiresais]

And that is the only thing I think about when I think of Rivaldo lol. That and we turned down a chance to get him on a free. I never saw him play except internationals, so really that's the only memory of him - cheating.

[asylumseeker]

And that is the only thing I think about when I think of Rivaldo lol. That and we turned down a chance to get him on a free. I never saw him play except internationals, so really that's the only memory of him - cheating.

How many "memories" do you have of Diego Armando Maradona?

[Tiresais]

And that is the only thing I think about when I think of Rivaldo lol. That and we turned down a chance to get him on a free. I never saw him play except internationals, so really that's the only memory of him - cheating.

How many "memories" do you have of Diego Armando Maradona?

Sadly the two goals he scored against England - the first the biggest piece of cheating in the history of the World Cup, the second one of the best goals ever scored. But of course I wasn't alive when Maradona was plying his trade, so I don't know if they're the type of memories we're talking about. I saw Rivaldo cheat personally, in the sense I was watching the game. Maradona of course I only remember through the tidbits the press/media trot out and that found on youtube, so naturally as an Englishman I'll "remember" those bits - it's more a cultural memory and I'm aware of that.

[Deeks]

He was a very good player. Unnoticed because of all the other good players around him. Looked odd with his "bandy' leg and always bringing the ball over to his left foot. Also had a calming effect on the game even when it was played at a helter skelter pace. Congrats and good luck in the future.

I thought he had retired. But last week, I swore I read an article about an incident with his club Mogi Mirim. I think it said that he is now a director at the club. But Mogi Mirim was playing a team and the fans was making monkey chants at a player from the other team. His name is Arouca. He was a youth player and played maybe 3 or 4 times for Brazil. Even the President of Brazil reprimanded the club, and I think they got fine or something. I wish him well in his management endeavour.

[Bitter]

5 words: Gal a rush me hairstyle

[asylumseeker]

He was a very good player. Unnoticed because of all the other good players around him. Looked odd with his "bandy' leg and always bringing the ball over to his left foot. Also had a calming effect on the game even when it was played at a helter skelter pace. Congrats and good luck in the future.

I thought he had retired. But last week, I swore I read an article about an incident with his club Mogi Mirim. I think it said that he is now a director at the club. But Mogi Mirim was playing a team and the fans was making monkey chants at a player from the other team. His name is Arouca. He was a youth player and played maybe 3 or 4 times for Brazil. Even the President of Brazil reprimanded the club, and I think they got fine or something. I wish him well in his management endeavour.

The subject of perhaps the worst trivia question in forum history 

[asylumseeker]

"As I left the pitch on Thursday night against Mogi Mirim I was the target of racist insults by a fan of the opposing team," the player said in a statement, adding that he did not personally hear the abuse.

"It's lamentable and unacceptable that there is still room for this kind of thing today...It killed the happiness I felt over our team's good performance in which I scored a nice goal, which should be what the sport is all about," he added.

"I sincerely hope cases like this will be severely punished because until that happens nothing is going to change. Impunity and the connivance of authorities with the people who do this kind of thing are every bit as serious as the acts themselves."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-mogi-mirims-stadium-closed-arouca-abuse-194029784--sow.html

[100% Barataria]

Champion   

Boss player, no glamour, just impact

[soccerman]

Many great memories of watching him at Barca in the late 90's

One of my favorite players

[Madd Ras#13]

My favourite player of all time...so much that "rivaldo" is my son's middle name(was to be his first name but found an african name with meaning instead)

respect boss of ah player...entertaining and unpredictable, with ah sweet left 

[asylumseeker]

Rivaldo retires from football
ESPN

World Cup winner and former World Player of the Year Rivaldo has announced that he has retired from football.

The Brazilian, 41, won the World Cup in 2002 and also the Champions League in 2003, while he was named the best player on the planet in 1999 during an impressive five-year stint with Spanish club Barcelona.

However, after missing almost an entire season for Milan in 2003-04, Rivaldo has spent the last decade at clubs in Greece, Uzbekistan and back in his native Brazil -- most recently at Sao Paulo-based side Mogi Mirim (where he played alongside his son.)

And he has now chosen to hang up his boots, after revealing on Instagram:

"With tears in my eyes today I would like first to thank God, my family and all the support, the affection that I received during those 24 years as a player. Today I communicate to all my fans in the world , my history as a player came to the end.
...

The ball is a magnet ...

He's made an about turn. He appeared last night for the same club, Mogi Morim, after an absence of almost 16 months from professional football. Second Division at 43 years old. Substituted at 22' upon the entry of his daughter's boyfriend, Gustavo.

The club is going through a tough time and Rivaldo decided to lace up to help out. Last night they secured their first victory in 11 outings, to move them out of the cellar position. 

[Tiresais]

Footballers only retire from the game when their knee gets shot or other injuries stop them playing - the lure is too strong me thinks