Ronaldo legenda disegani

PEMENANG tiga kali pemain terbaik dunia Fifa, Ronaldo yang menjadi penjaring utama ketika membantu Brazil merangkul kejuaraan Piala Dunia 2002 mengumumkan persaraannya secara rasmi semalam pada usia 34 tahun.

Penyerang Corinthians itu tidak dapat menahan kesedihan pada sidang media di Sao Paolo dengan menyatakan walaupun meninggalkan arena bola sepak seperti kematian buat dirinya, dia terpaksa melakukannya kerana tubuhnya sudah tidak boleh bertahan lagi.

“Saya menamatkan karier saya sebagai pemain bola sepak profesional. Ia adalah saat yang indah, penuh emosi dan karier yang sungguh hebat. Dalam tempoh dua tahun lalu saya mengalami beberapa kecederaan yang panjang. Kecederaan memaksa saya menamatkan karier,” katanya.

Ronaldo mendedahkan dia menderita masalah tiroid yang menyebabkannya sukar mengawal berat badan.

“Empat tahun lalu di Milan, saya mendapati saya mengalami masalah tiroid yang menyebab-kan metabolisme saya menurun, saya perlu mengambil hormon yang tidak dibenarkan dalam bola sepak kerana ia dianggap salah mengikut doping.

“Ramai pihak harus berasa bersalah kerana mempersendakan masalah berat badan saya. Namun saya tidak marah kepada sesiapa,” katanya.

Walaupun menyatakan harapan untuk terus bermain sehingga tamat tahun ini, masalah kecederaan dan penyingkiran awal Corinthians daripada Piala Libertadores mendorongnya mengambil keputusan mempercepatkan persaraan.

“Kesakitan ini memaksa saya menamatkan karier lebih awal,” katanya.

Ronaldo membuat keputusan Khamis lalu dengan menjelaskan: “Apabila saya membuat keputusan, saya seperti berada dalam unit rawatan rapi dengan keadaan yang boleh membawa maut. Pengumuman ini seperti kematian pertama saya. Ia sukar untuk berputus asa terhadap sesuatu yang membuatkan anda gembira.

Dalam tempoh 14 tahun yang menakjubkan di Eropah, Ronaldo menjadi penjaring prolifik untuk PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid dan AC Milan sebelum kembali ke Brazil pada 2009.

Dia memenangi Piala Dunia bersama Brazil pada 2002 dan menjadi penjaring terbanyak

pada pusingan akhir Piala Dunia apabila menjaringkan gol ke-15 pada kejohanan 2006 di Jerman.

Ronaldo dua kali dinobatkan selaku Pemain Terbaik Eropah 1997 dan 2002 serta menamatkan karier peringkat antarabangsa dengan 62 gol dalam 97 penampilan.

Diangkat sebagai salah seorang pemain terbaik sepanjang zaman, ‘El Fenomeno’ menjuarai Piala Dunia bersama Brazil buat kali pertama pada 1994 meskipun ketika itu dia masih berusia 17 tahun dan tidak beraksi dalam kesebelasan utama.

Pada 1998, dia adalah sebahagian daripada pasukan yang muncul naib juara, kalah 3-0 di tangan Perancis di Stade de France.

Lotus Elise Club Racer

In addition to the Mansory Evora which Lotus will unveil at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the British sportscar-maker will also lift the curtain on a new version of the Elise roadster called the Club Racer.

The stripped-out Elise sheds 52 pounds off its already spritely curb weight, and gets a new sport setting for the Dynamic Performance Management system, giving the driver-focused roadster an even bigger performance advantage. Pricing comes in at £27,500.

Rarest U.S. Coin Is Worth $20 Million

What is the most valuable United States coin? The coin, shown at right is the Smithsonian's 1849-dated "Double Eagle" $20 denomination gold piece. The unique coin was struck by the United States Mint in Philadelphia during the early days of the California Gold Rush. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) has rounded-up the 2011 PCGS Million Dollar Coin Club and their experts agree that this coin has gone up in value from an estimated $15 million last year to $20 million now. The first $20 gold piece struck at the United States Mint is part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. It will be exhibited in Chicago in August at the World's Fair of Money.

Here's a reason to start collecting, the group says that the most valuable rare coins have increased in value by an estimated 25 to 50 percent the past year. There are currently 235 historic U.S. coins valued at $1 million or more that are in private collections or museums (an estimated total combined value of $548.6 million).

"It was only 15 years ago that a coin first broke the million dollar mark at auction. That coin is the finest of only five known 1913 Liberty Head nickels, and in 1996 it sold for $1,485,000. It now is valued at $4,500,000," explained David Hall, President of Collectors Universe, Inc.of Santa Ana, California.

The 2011 PCGS Million Dollar Coin Club listing was compiled by Hall and Ron Guth, President of PCGS CoinFacts, in consultation with four other well-known professional numismatists: Jim Halperin, Co-Chairman of Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas; Kevin Lipton, President of Kevin Lipton Rare Coins, Beverly Hills, California; Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions; and Laura Sperber, President of Legend Numismatics, Lincroft, New Jersey.

Others in the top 10 include a 1907 Indian Head $20 Saint-Gaudens gold pattern (estimated grade Proof 69) valued at $1 million. Now in a private collection, this unique gold pattern was designed by famed sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and combines his $10 Indian Head obverse design with his $20 reverse design. A 1877 $50 gold pattern J-1546 (estimated grade Proof 67) is also at $15 million, up from $10 million last year. The famous "Half Union" gold piece is unique and in the Smithsonian. The1877 $50 gold pattern J-1548 (estimated grade Proof 67) is variation on the design of the other "Half Union" and had the same jump in value. This coin is also unique and in the Smithsonian. Also at the Smithsonian is the 1907 Double Thick Extremely High Relief Saint-Gaudens $20 (two coins, both estimated grade Proof 69) estimated at $8.5 million.

A 1794 Silver Dollar (graded PCGS Specimen 66 and shown at left) is listed at $7.85 million up from $5 million last year. In a private collection, this is believed by some experts to be the very first silver dollar struck by the United States Mint.

The 1804 Class I ("Original") Silver Dollar (graded PCGS Proof 68 and shown at right) worth $7.5 million is the finest of the 15 known, famous 1804 silver dollars. This coin, now in a private collection, was originally given to the Sultan of Muscat in 1836 as a diplomatic gift on behalf of President Andrew Jackson. Another coin from that same gift, the 1804 Class I ("Original") Silver Dollar (graded PCGS Proof 67) valued at $6.5 million.

Rounding out the list is an 1822 $5 gold piece (estimated grade Extremely Fine 45) valued at $6 million is one of only three surviving 1922 Half Eagle gold coins out of 17,796 struck. The other two specimens are in the Smithsonian.

Imperia GP is Hybrid, Retro and Belgian All At Once

If you're anything like us, you're a little torn when it comes to your automotive acquisitions. On the one hand, you want to do your bit to help the environment and reduce our dependency on foreign oil. On the other, a Toyota Prius doesn't exactly embody the style and excitement you'd like your car to. Presenting the Imperia GP.

Active throughout the first half of the 20th century, Imperia has been resurrected the same way Bugatti and Mini were. But while those brands brought their classic caché back with a modern twist, the Imperia GP steps even further into the modern era with its hybrid powertrain. The Belgian retro hybrid packs a 207-horsepowr 1.6-liter turbo four and a 134hp electric motor. Driven only by the electric motor, it can hit 62 from a standstill in a solid six seconds, or just four with the gasoline engine kicking in.

The product of some three years of development, the first pre-production prototype was recently unveiled at the Belgian Auto Show and is set to hit the market shortly with a 90,000-euro price tag, or 120,000 euros for the first edition.