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VÍTOR BORBA FERREIRA 'RIVALDO'
Date of Birth: 19 April, 1972
Nationality: Brazil (international)
Period at Deportivo: 1996 - 1997
Transfer: $9,2 million (1.150 mln ptas) (ca €7,4 million) (1996)
Clubs: Palmeiras (1995, 1996), Corinthians (1993, 1994), Mogi-Mirin, Santa Cruz
Sold: 4.000 mln ptas (1997, to Barcelona) (ca €25,6 million)
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Position: Attacking Midfielder (left/central)
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 One of the biggest players of the 1990s started his European career at Deportivo. It was RIVALDO who used the Galician club to leapfrog from the Brazilian competition to FC Barcelona and international glory.
1996 was the year in which legendary striker Bebeto said goodbye to Deportivo. The 1994 World Champion had played four magnificent seasons in La Coruña and had impressed Europe with his goals. Deportivo president Lendoiro wanted to give the supporters of his club another star and it turned out to be Rivaldo, who had to miss World Cup 1994 because in the end Carlos national coach Alberto Parreira didn't pick him.
24-year-old Rivaldo had almost become a player of Italian club Parma but the deal eventually collapsed because of his salary demands. Lendoiro quickly used this chance and the examples of Bebeto, Mauro Silva and Donato to lure Rivaldo to La Coruña. During his presentation in front of 6,000 supporters he said that "Bebeto as well as Mauro Silva talked in such a positive way about the city and the supporters that I am looking forward to play here". Deportivo paid almost €7,5 million for the attacking midfielder, whom Borussia Dortmund and Verdy Yomiuri were also interested in, and agreed on a $1 million dollar salary. Lendoiro commented that on this second signing that "he's a crack mundial and certainly better than Barcelona's Giovanni. There’s no comparison possible". Depor’s president finally had his star after frustrated attempts to get Giovanni himself, Amaral (to Parma) or Savio (later to Real Madrid).
Car-lover Rivaldo signed a contract running until 2001 and quickly proved to be a success, as Deportivo started the 1996/1997 season flying high and would remain unbeaten until early January 1997. Much had to do with the talents of the Brazilian star as he, together with Martins, inspired Deportivo to higher levels. The season before, Deportivo had struggled in the Primera División and now it was competing again with Real Madrid and Barcelona.
After five Liga matches he already had scored four goals and looked to be on his way to break every record. But his production slowed down in the months thereafter and in January Deportivo started to fall back in the table. It needed Rivaldo to score again because the team lacked a real striker. 'Turu' Flores or Pauleta had yet to join Deportivo's ranks, while Makaay, Tristán and Pandiani would come even later. It was 1997 and Deportivo were completely dependent on his goals.
 Fortunately these goals started to arrive again as February came. Rivaldo scored a goal against Hércules Alicante and added three in the two matches after it. This was his best series of goals he produced, starting with a fantastic free-kick at Real Sociedad (1-1). He scored seven goals in six matches in a row and earned Deportivo some precious points. But after 21 Liga goals (and 1 Copa goal) his production stopped again, and the team only took five points from the final six Liga matches. No surprise that it had to do with the lack of Rivaldo's goals.
During the summer of 1997 Deportivo continued building a fantastic team. Playmaker Djalminha and striker Luizão were added to the Brazilian department. The team impressed during the pre-season and everything surrounding Deportivo was full of illusion while waiting for the new season to begin. Even Bebeto almost returned. But just hours before the transfer deadline would pass, Barcelona struck. Rivaldo had a buy-out clause of about €25,5 million in his contract, a crazy amount until that time. But money was changing and not a problem anymore. Real Betis even paid the astonishing amount of €34 million to sign Denilson. Meanwhile, Internazionale took Ronaldo away from FC Barcelona for €30 million. When new Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal was asked who he wanted to have for his left flank he came up with just one name: Rivaldo. Barcelona paid Deportivo the money and Rivaldo was gone in the same way Ronaldo had left the Catalans for Internazionale. The last goal Rivaldo scored for Deportivo was exactly that night as his penalty won his club the Teresa Herrera edition of 1997.
Lendoiro was furious although he recognized the money paid was "the complete budget of Deportivo". For his part Rivaldo declared that he wouldn't have left Deportivo “if it hadn't been Barcelona". But that season both parties would experience different moments. Deportivo had lost their most important player and would play a terrible season. Meanwhile, Rivaldo soon conquered the Nou Camp, and blossomed into arguably the best footballer in the world in a little over three seasons at Barcelona. Meanwhile, he earned a salary of more than €4 million per season.
Rivaldo scored 19 goals in his debut season at Barcelona and his team won the Liga and Copa del Rey. He played a good World Cup 1998 tournament (scoring three goals) and was eventually chosen as FIFA's World Player of the Year for 1999; just two years after leaving Deportivo. But in June 2002, after the arrival of Louis van Gaal, Barcelona decided to release the player from his contract a year before it was due to expire. He had played 157 Liga matches for them, scored 86 goals in these appearances, and he signed a three-year contract with Italian club AC Milan. That same summer, he was a fundamental part of the Brazilian team that became world champions.
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