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Edmundo fingers Nike for Ronaldo imbroglio

Brazilian midfielder Edmundo has set the cat among the Brazilian pigeons, openly alleging that it was a contract between the Brazilian football confederation and Nike that resulted in Ronaldo playing in the World Cup final despite illness.

"The Nike business is true," Edmundo said in a taped interview published by Brazilian newspapers. "There's a contract that says Ronaldo must play every game for the full 90 minutes."

Edmundo being the one to publicly voice the allegation is particularly apt -- on July 12, it was Edmundo's name that figured in the starting lineup in place of Ronaldo's. 15 minutes after that list was put up, it was substituted with a fresh list that had Ronaldo back in the starting lineup.

Brazil then went on to give a particularly uninspired performance, and it was revealed after the game that Ronaldo had suffered some kind of fit prior to the match.

Coach Mario Zagallo admitted that "Ronaldo shouldn't have played", but then blustered when asked why he had been included in the lineup, and finally said it was to restore the confidence of the squad.

However, it was obvious that Ronaldo's inclusion had the opposite effect. The team played like its heart just wasn't in it, and to observers, it was as good as if they had given the game away.

Nike, which had paid over $200 million to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in 1996 as part of a 10-year sponsorship deal, became the centre of speculation in post-match analysis.

The sportswear manufacturer first hit the headlines when, in the run up to the Cup, senior Brazilian players groused that they had been ordered to appear at a Nike promotional, cutting short their practise.

Now comes the Ronaldo affair, promptly denied by Nike spokespersons.

11 members of the Brazilian squad have personal contracts with Nike, of whom Ronaldo has been favoured by a lifetime contract.

The contracts, including Ronaldo's, were worked out personally by CBF president Ricardo Teixeira.

"Nike is strong," Edmundo says in his taped interview. "It negotiated directly with the president. That means, the president took a percentage."

The CBF and its president are still to respond to the allegation. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is unavailable for comment.