BW Linz routinier

Ronivaldo is “like a very good wine”

Scored eleven of FC Blau-Weiß's 20 goals in the fall, which he embodies like no other player: Ronivaldo.(Bild: GEPA)

He played on Brazil's streets as a child, kicked goals made of stones, loves the cold, scored 55 percent of all Blue & White goals in the fall, leads the scoring charts and wants to play until 42: Ronivaldo

He recently spent his last vacation at home in Brazil with his family. "But I don't mind the cold either! My teammates always say I'm not a real Brazilian because I train in short outfits even in winter," grins Ronivaldo.

"Like a very good wine"
Whose opponents often froze laughing in the autumn because he was ice-cold in front of goal: eleven goals put the man who scored 55% of all FC Blau-Weiß Linz goals at the top of the scoring charts, which he embodies like no other. "He also stands for hard work, commitment and a lot of running. And he's like a very good wine - he gets better and better over time," say managing director Peschek and sporting director Schößwendter about the striker, who is only 1.74m tall but has a strong header, who once received his first ball from his aunt as a five-year-old.

"We didn't have soccer pitches, we played in the middle of a public road, which we cordoned off. Two stones marked the goals," recalls 'Roni', who says of his school days: "I was rarely there because I had to work in a fabric factory and support my family. Besides, soccer was more important."

He married his Nathanny - here with their daughters Abigail and Manuela - after three months.(Bild: BWL)

At 13, he tricked his way into the academy: "There was an oversupply of strikers, so I said I'd play in defensive midfield or on the right - it was easier to get in that way."

He came to Austria in 2013: Kapfenberg, Austria (without playing due to injury), Lustenau, Innsbruck - and since 2022, including a stumbling start in blue and white, where the 35-year-old, who also has a red-white-red passport, is due to extend his contract soon. He says: "I want to play until I'm 42 - I'm serious about that!"