Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello asked iconic forward Ronaldo Nazario about his weight live on Italian TV on Tuesday night, as the two appeared as guests on Sky Sport Italia. The Brazilian has battled weight issues since his playing days.
Ronaldo and Capello crossed paths with each other in the 2006-07 season at the Bernabeu, with the Italian proving his final manager during his spell at Real Madrid. Capello was keen to move on from Ronaldo, and chastised him publicly about his fitness.
‘How much do you weigh now?’
Before Bodo/Glimt’s 2-1 victory over Inter (5-2 on aggregate), Ronaldo joined the Sky Sport Italia TV coverage from the Giuseppe Meazza, while Capello was a studio guest. Speaking to each other live on the air, Capello opened the conversation with Ronaldo asking him ‘How much do you weigh now?’, as reported by MD.
Ronaldo: Merhaba Mister!
Capello: Selam Ronnie! Sana bir şey sormak istiyorum, şu an kaç kilosun?
Ronaldo: Hadi ama Mister, hâlâ mı sorguya çekiliyorum?
Capello: Ee biraz gülelim… Heheheh… https://t.co/D5hJAlpgWD pic.twitter.com/ksFfdiilsk
— calciolog (@calciolog_tr) February 24, 2026
Fortunately, Ronaldo appeared to take the question in good spirit, and responded ‘Come on, mister, again?’, before the pair laughed. During Capello’s time, he weighed his players regularly, but Ronaldo famously skipped the weighing. Capello would later describe him as the best player he coached.
The end of Ronaldo’s spell at Real Madrid
Ronaldo, as a result of their disagreements over fitness, was left out of Real Madrid’s squad on 16 occasions in Real Madrid’s opening 30 games of the season, before securing a January move to AC Milan in 2007. Ronaldo played a total of 653 minutes that season under Capello, scoring four goals in 13 games.
Ronaldo’s battles with his weight
During that season, Ronaldo was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, a condition that significantly slows down the metabolism, and requires medication that induces weight gain. It influenced the back half of Ronaldo’s career, as he battled the loss of his pace and mobility. He would continue playing in 2011, when he retired after three years at Corinthians back in Brazil.
