Sao Paulo  - Mano Menezes, the coach of Brazilian football team Corinthians, was upset Tuesday about the attitude of his star striker Ronaldo, who reportedly danced till dawn at a Sao Paulo nightclub.

"That harms his image a little and it even causes us a few problems," Menezes said in an interview with Brazilian television cannel SporTV.

Ronaldo reportedly danced till 6 am in the middle of the physical recovery work he is doing after undergoing surgery to his left knee almost a year ago.

The veteran striker - FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002 - was said to have headed directly from the nightclub to the office of Corinthians doctor Joaquim Gava, where he underwent tests to evaluate his recovery.

According to Menezes, the incident is bound to make Ronaldo more vulnerable to criticism from the fans, in case his performance at his new club is not fully satisfactory. He is set to make his formal debut for Corinthians in late February or early March.

"The fans are passionate. If the team wins, everything is excellent. But if Ronaldo misses a goal or the team loses, they will say it was that (the late night) which affected his performance," the coach explained.

However, Menezes said he will not tell off Ronaldo more formally or issue punishment.

"I will not get out to chase my players, among other things because Sao Paulo is quite a big city and I will not be able to find them," he said. (dpa)