World Cup Fever: Brazilian President More Comfortable With Soccer Than World Issues

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, June 13, 2006 — -- Few world leaders love football as much as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The die-hard Corinthians fan peppers his speeches with footballing analogies, plays five-a-side games with his ministers, and enjoys nothing more than discussing the games finer points with players, managers and club chairmen.

He is one of the few international statesman who is more at home debating the respective merits of 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 with Pele than discussing the war in Iraq with Tony Blair or George W. Bush.

So it was no surprise when he arranged for a live video link up with the Brazil squad from their base in Konigstein last week. And no shock that he put his foot in it. For another thing Lula is famous for is saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Since taking power in 2003 Lula has called foreign dignitaries by their wrong names, unwittingly accused the US of serial selfishness and once told Namibians he couldn't believe he was in Africa because their country was so clean.

Last week he caused a furor by asking Brazil manager Carlos Alberto Parreira if Ronaldo really was fat.

"I meet up with Ronaldo now and then and I know he's thin," Lula said to Parreira during the conference call. "But every so often we read in the Brazilian press that Ronaldo is fat. So, is he fat or isn't he fat?"

"He's very strong, president," a characteristically diplomatic Parreira responded, before adding that Ronaldo was no longer the skinny kid he called up as a reserve for the 1994 World Cup.

An International Incident

The Brazilian players were under strict orders not to ask Lula any questions or enter into any discussions with him and so Ronaldo's ire only became apparent the next day. In conversations with reporters after training, the obviously irritated star, said, "Everyone says he [Lula] drinks all the time. Just as it's a lie that I am fat, it must be a lie that he drinks too much."

Two years ago, the New York Times published a story acusing Lula of overdoing the cachaca, the potent cane spirit that is Brazil's most popular drink (and the main ingredient of the caipirinha).

The story caused an international incident and angered Lula so much that he tried to expel the reporter who wrote the story. Lula's drinking habits have been a topic of conversation ever since.

Lula tried to downplay last week's back-and-forward with Ronaldo as a misunderstanding and sent a fax to the Real Madrid striker apologizing for any bad feelings.

The 60-year old president dotes on Ronaldo -- he even said he thinks of him as a son -- and he was reported to be upset at having upset him. Ronaldo, who has always had a good relationship with the president, graciously accepted the apology and declared the matter closed.

A Weighty Incentive

But whether Lula drinks or Ronaldo is fat, the controvery can't have helped Brazil's preparations. After missing three days training because of blisters and a cold, Ronaldo's physical state was hardly perfect. The last thing he needed was more psychological intrusions.

Perversely, however, it could all work to Brazil's benefit. Ronaldo has repeatedly shown he is a master at proving people wrong.

Four years ago he was written off after spending most of the season out through injury and yet he scored eight times in Asia, including two in Brazil's 2-0 final victory over Germany. He performed similar feats of recovery when his marriages failed and he has already warned opponents he will use the fat jibes to fire him up.

When the debate over his weight was at its height earlier this year, he told reporters it was would give him just the incentive he needed when the World Cup came around.

"I am going to shut a lot of people up," he said.

He may well do so. Starting with Lula.