Corinthians head coach Mano Menezes confirmed on Friday that his star striker Ronaldo will not be available for the soccer fundraising game that will help the victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake. The charity game is scheduled to take place on January 25 in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. French legend Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo's longtime friend and former teammate at Real Madrid, is helping to organize the charity event.
"The priority is Corinthians. When there is some free time in the team's schedule, I would have no problem with Ronaldo's participation in the event. However, at this point in time I have to say no," said Menezes.
Ronaldo is expected to make his debut in 2010 against Oeste on January 24 in the Sao Paulo state soccer championship. Corinthians will then face Mirassol on January 27 at home.