One for older viewers. Brazil coasting and would win 7-0 x Peru in the 1997 Copa semi and, having played all 3 subs, Romario pulls up injured. Now Zagallo is saying he was not injured. Why would anyone fake an injury to miss a final?
Romario did get a pulling muscle or so, and he limped off the game. Was he recovered in time at final? No one knows and he did not play. Romario was a great player but he got some attitude that no coaches could take. For example, one of the main reason Scolari did not call him at WC02 was that, he claimed being injured/not fit for some trainings (before WC) but later Scolari learned that he was playing Futsal on the beach somewhere and that was IT for the great veteran who could have held up his 2nd WC alongside Ronaldo
.............and now he is in the Brazilian senate I believe - calling Teixeira to account for WC costs. Am I right? I could never warm to him - far too arrogant - but he was a genius.
He said he was hurt for Copa America 2001 in Colombia when they had all those kidnapping warnings in the country. Argentina even pulled out from the tournament. Romario didn't want to go to Colombia and play.
No the true story was that Romario asked to be excused from the Copa'01 to get "eye surgery" only for Scolari to find out he was playing for Vasco in a friendly in Mexico!!
I heard also that around the 1st of July 2001 WCQ in Montevideo he got off with an air stewardess and Felipao got wind of it. He never played again until that farewell in Pacaembu x Guatemala.