20 years ago, a young and powerful striker was on the radar of a huge number of European clubs.
Ronaldo had been firing on all cylinders for PSV in the Eredivisie. He averaged almost a goal per game for the Eindhoven side, something which understandably attracted plenty of interest. An asking price of just over £19 million was somewhat steep.
That didn't throw off Barcelona, who broke the transfer record to secure his services, but there were plenty of shenanigans along the way, as former Barca vice-president, Joan Gaspart told Goal.com.
Barcelona needed to get Ronaldo to ink the deal before July 15th, otherwise, the verbal contract would run out. There was one small problem. PSV figured out that they actually wanted to keep the striker and rang the Brazilian Federation to block the move.
But Gaspart was already on his way to Miami, where Brazil team was based, to secure the move. What came next was a tense standoff - and an ingenious disguise by the Barca official:
PSV realised they didn’t want to lose the player and they called the CBF in order to stop Ronaldo signing for Barca. There were two security guards that didn’t want me to go through and see Ronaldo or any other player
I met a Spansh waiter in the hotel and he leant me his work clothes, gave me a tray and a Coca Cola.
I put on the disguise, said hello to the security guards and told them a guest had asked for a soft drink. This time they let me past.
I knocked on Ronaldo’s door and he himself opened it. He signed the contract right there, on the bed.
The next day, the deal was announced, and Ronaldo grabbed 47 goals in 49 games for the Catalonians before moving to Inter Milan the following season. He had a breakout World Cup in 1998 and the rest, as they say, is history.
All thanks to a waiter's suit and a Coke bottle. There's some advice for Man United there. If they want Cristiano Ronaldo, just send Ed Woodward dressed up as a barber to the Confederations Cup.
