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Mission Romário, day 6 (the end)Rio International Airport, Wednesday 22 March, 21.30 pm"Well, have you found Romário yet?" We happened to bump into Sergio on the Copacabana. He is the journalist we consulted the day before yesterday on our quest. We could not help giving a negative reply. "By the way, have you?", we asked him. "No. And neither has Vasco. He is still missing." Sergio adds one theory to the growing list of speculations. Romário is alleged to make a move to the Brazilian football club América. His father is a fan of América and he would love his son to play for them now that his career is in the final stages. The sports paper Lance reports this piece of news. It is also announced that Romário and Vasco coach Renato Gaúcho had dinner by accident in the same restaurant. They were in the same place, but did not see each other. Romário, 'the Brazilian Bin Laden', is just as unfathomable as the Tora Bora grounds. Meanwhile as many as six theories are being developed right now: It’s no use speculating. We have found out the past few days that each of these theories makes sense in a way.Our quest is over. We have been in Rio for five days. We have done our utmost to trace the former PSV star. We have consulted all our contact persons, have watched one game, have been to the Vasco da Gama Stadium several times and have talked to insiders or tried to get in touch with them. It was all in vain, which is part of the charm of this trip. We have learnt that Romário is intangible and will be intangible. Romário de Souza Faria is and will be a phenomenon on the pitch, but most certainly off the pitch as well.Freelance journalist Koen van Santvoord and photographer Maarten Noordijk were in Brazil in search of Romário. To see him, among other things, about his mission to score one thousand goals. To taste the atmosphere and to see him in action one more time. But they did not succeed in their mission. The PSV icon seemed to have vanished from the earth, just when they were making this trip. And yet it was worth trying.
