Ronaldo Nazario is ready to debebut for Corinthians and he will be back tonight. In a match against Itumbiara, Corinthians’s manager Mano Menezes called the ‘Fenomeno’, to the squad for the first time since his last knee injury, almost one year ago, while playing for AC Milan.

Ronaldo won’t be a starter, but he probably will play a few minutes in the second half. At Corinthians since December, he got into a lot of trouble already, including two polemic nights. The first one, in Sao Paulo, at a regular night club called The Pink Elephant, and the last one, couple of days ago, at a, to say, not so religious place. He had to go back to the hotel at 23h, but Pop’s Drinks, this place, seemed to be very friendly so Ronaldo entered the hotel at 5 am.

He was fined by the club and former player, now director of football for Corinthians Antonio Zago, was fired as he was at the same place with Ronaldo.

As that happened three days ago, Mano Menezes has decided to call him for the squad. The pression for Ronaldo to enter the field is huge.

Itumbiara, a small club from Goias, is the rival for tonight. The team had some money injection and signed Denilson, former Real Betis. Polemic top scorer Tulio Maravilha also plays for the club as he tries to reach 1000 goals in his career.

If Ronaldo plays 15 minutes, he probably will be fit for next Sunday’s derby against Palmeiras. If that happens, after all his nightlife and polemics, it will be another huge game for Ronaldo to play. Exactly the kind of game he loves to play...

This Saturday the National Brazilian League, Brasileirão, kicks off.

Of course our best players are in Europe.

Certainly our managers suck.

Definitely our fans are not really well treated.

But nowhere else in the world a championship is so difficult to win.

2007 Brasileirão, like every year, starts with, at least, 12 teams with real chances to win it.

I am not talking surprising results. I am talking about major and favorite teams.

It is not by accident that in 37 years in the so called Brasileirão, 17 teams were already Champions.

The greatest winner, Flamengo, have only 5 titles, the same number Real Madrid can have in a single decade in the Spanish League.

In 2007, including the polemic title of Sport Recife in 1987, 14 of the 20 clubs in first division already won a title.

Brasileirão is always unpredictable. There are no Liverpool/Manuted/Arsenal/Chelsea. There are no Real Madrid/Barcelona. There are no Milan/Inter/Juve. No Boca/River domination! 

By the way, the Brasileirão will be played by the following teams:

América-RN
Atlético-MG - 1 title
Atlético-PR - 1 title
Botafogo - 1 title
Corinthians - 4 titles
Cruzeiro - 1 title
Figueirense 
Flamengo - 5 titles
Fluminense - 1 title
Grêmio - 2 titles
Internacional - 3 titles
Juventude
Náutico
Palmeiras - 4 titles
Paraná
Santos - 2 titles
São Paulo - 4 titles (defending champion)
Sport - 1 title (recognized by CBF, but polemic)
Vasco - 4 titles

Four last places are relegated to Serie B, top four plays 2008 Libertadores.  

Teams play all against each other both home and away.