Sao Paulo - Before making his debut with Brazilian club Corinthians, veteran striker Ronaldo was facing his first punishment Friday - a fine for "lack of discipline."

The club leadership was upset about the forward's delayed return to work after a day off.

Corinthians officials said Friday that Ronaldo, 32, arrived at least six hours late to the team's hotel in the town of Presidente Prudente, in Sao Paulo state.

The striker - currently in the final stages of recovery after undergoing surgery to his left knee over a year ago - arrived at the hotel early Friday, ignoring the request for all players to show up by 11 pm Thursday.

The amount of the fine was not revealed.

In January, Brazilian media published photos of Ronaldo - the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 - at a Rio de Janeiro disco. He wasn't fined for his night on the town.

At the time, Ronaldo - formerly with PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, among other top clubs - argued that he was allowed to do whatever he liked as long as he did not violate club regulations. (dpa)