Ronaldo left in tears as Rome curse strikes again

Twice World Player of the Year Ronaldo was left in tears as his dream of winning his first Italian title was shattered by a shock 4-2 defeat to Lazio on Sunday.

Inter went into the final day a point clear at the top but it was Juventus who took the prized 'scudetto' with a 2-0 win at Udinese leaving Inter and Ronaldo in third place behind AS Roma.

Rome's Olympic stadium holds unhappy memories for Ronaldo as the venue where he suffered a serious knee injury almost two years ago which kept him out of action for 18 months.

The Brazilian ruptured his knee ligaments against Lazio in the Italian Cup final on April 12, 2000 just six minutes after making a comeback appearance as a substitute.

After a phased return this season, during which he has been dogged by muscle problems, Ronaldo has looked close to his best during the title run-in scoring four goals in four games before Sunday's defeat.

But against Lazio, Ronaldo, like many of his team-mates, lacked inspiration and was substituted in the 77th minute.

He has now played five seasons with Inter during which the club won the 1998 UEFA Cup.