THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH RONALDO

FRENCH doctors have cast doubt on whether Brazilian striker Ronaldo EVER had the fit that supposedly wrecked his World Cup Final.

Experts who examined the world's top footballer have revealed exclusively to the Sunday Mirror that they found NO evidence that he suffered convulsions before the match.

The soccer star was rushed to a private clinic just hours before the World Cup final after he allegedly had spasms in his sleep at the team hotel.

Panic is said to have erupted at the Brazilian training camp when his roommate Roberto Carlos was woken from his siesta at 2pm by Ronaldo having a convulsive fit.

But when he was examined by doctors at the Clinic des Lilas - 30 miles away across Paris - they found it "hard to believe" he'd had a fit.

Clinic chief Philip Krief said: "We could find no evidence at all he'd had any kind of fit.

"Ronaldo arrived wearing shorts, tee-shirt and trainers. He was behaving totally normally and when he left he was calm, smiling and at ease.

"He even posed for a picture with some of my staff and signed his autograph on a French soccer shirt."

"When people have fits, their eyes widen and they dribble and lose their balance.

"The effects of these symptoms would still have been visible in Ronaldo when he was brought into the clinic, but they weren't there.

"Ronaldo had an hour and a half of medical tests while he chatted to the staff and nurses and watched some football on television.

"He had a full body scan and tests on his blood and mineral levels. After the tests we handed the results to the Brazilian doctor.

"We didn't make any kind of judgement about whether he should play or not. We simply gave them the results so they could make up their own minds. Our records are confidential, but I can say that you don't walk out of a clinic the way Ronaldo did if you've had bad test results.

"We considered him to be physically fit. If he had been in bad shape he would never have withstood the collision he had with Barthez.

"In my opinion, it was not just Ronaldo who played badly against France, it was the whole Brazilian team.

"The fact everyone played badly simply raised questions about Ronaldo's condition that would never have been asked if Brazil had won the World Cup."

The Sunday Mirror has now pieced together the exact timetable of Ronaldo's afternoon from the moment the team were sent to their rooms for a nap after lunch.

1pm: The whole team were in their shared rooms, either sleeping or relaxing before the crucial match against France at nine that evening.

2pm: Roberto Carlos says he was woken by Ronaldo having a fit. He says he raised the alarm and doctors and hotel security rushed to the room. Hotel boss Paul Chevalier said: "There was a sudden shouting and screaming which woke up all the players who were having their siesta. The police and all the team's security came running. Certain people were saying he had died. Others were saying he had swallowed his tongue."

3pm: Ronaldo is said to have recovered from the fit and was examined by Dr Lidio Toledo in his room.

3.30pm: The Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo and his aides and medical staff held urgent talks on whether or not to play Ronaldo that night. It was decided he should remain on the subs bench and that Edmundo should take his place. Dr Toledo said: "When he had the fit at 2pm, I immediately decided he should not play. We all talked it over and thought it best too keep him as a substitute."

4pm: It was decided Ronaldo should be taken for a check-up at the Clinic des Lilas, the medical centre laid on for 24-hour emergency treatment of World Cup teams.

4.45pm: Ronaldo, Toledo and two bodyguards leave the hotel heading to the clinic. The rest of the team finished their final preparations and were taken to the Stade de France, arriving at around 7pm.

5.55pm: Ronaldo arrives at the clinic and is ushered into a second floor examination room for the battery of medical tests. He is smiling and chatting happily to staff.

One nurse at the clinic said: "When I saw him arrive I wondered what he was doing here. He looked happy and fit. I immediately thought he must have come to visit a patient, not for treatment."

7.45pm: Tests on Ronaldo are completed and he's escorted back to the car to be taken to the World Cup stadium.

On his way out of the clinic he stops to pose for a photograph with the awe-struck sons of clinic director Brigitte Elbaz. He also signs his name on a French soccer shirt for a nurse.

Dr Toledo said: "When he came out the clinic at 7.45, he was euphoric. He was boasting that all his tests were negative. Ronaldo told me as we left: 'Doc, I've got to get ready for the match. It wouldn't be right not to play.'"

8.10pm: Ronaldo's party arrive at the Stade de France. After speaking to Toledo and viewing the test results, Mario Zagallo decides Ronaldo will play and he loosens up in the changing room.

9pm: Ronaldo marches out onto to the pitch to the roar of the 80,000 crowd of soccer fans. The match kicks off and Brazil are thrashed 3-0 by France.

The day after the match, Dr Toledo said he had at first thought the fit was due to stress but had since changed his mind and decided it "could have been" an epileptic attack.

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