Ex-defender recalls time with Ronaldo at Corinthians: "Life complete" | OneFootball

Libertadores champion with Corinthians, Leandro Castán joined Corinthians in 2010 and shared the locker room with Ronaldo Fenômeno. The former defender commented on the attitude of the former striker and compared him with other great Italian players, praising all three for their humility.

“The top players were always the most humble, the ones who helped everyone the most and stood up for others. Ronaldo is one of those. Totti was someone I learned a lot from, he would lead the line in training, and not just him: Daniele De Rossi as well. They were the two icons of that team full of young talents seeking success,” said Castán to GE.

Photo: © Daniel Augusto Jr. / Ag. Corinthians

“The first time I saw him, I said: Wow, Ronaldo is right in front of me. And when he called me by name, that was another day I thought: man, I’ve completed life. But, for sure, having played with Ronaldo was a unique moment in my career,” he added.

Castán spoke about Ronaldo’s temperament on the field, whether as a teammate or an opponent. “I didn’t know if it was better to be on his team or against him. If you were on his team and made a bad pass, he’d get mad. Against him, if you made a tough challenge, he’d also get mad. Ronaldo was a childhood idol, he was the guy who left the biggest mark on my career,” he concluded.

Retired from football since 2022, the former defender is qualified to be a football coach, but aims to start with youth teams, emphasizing that he is not prepared to take over a professional club.

“I’m prepared to take charge of a youth team. I’m not ready yet to manage a professional team, but I believe I can coach a youth squad. I have a lot of ideas in my head and I need to understand what will work and what, perhaps at this moment, won’t. There’s no formula for success. It’s about reorganizing my ideas and putting them into practice. I’m not in a hurry to succeed.”

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.