Brazilian legend Ronaldo widely known as R9 has officially become the owner of La Liga outfit Real Valladolid after acquiring 51% of the shares at the club for the value reported to be €30M.
Ronaldo has in the past made his intentions of one day landing a managerial role clear and the wish has finally been granted after becoming the largest shareholder at Valladolid.
Ronaldo wasn’t the only interested party, however, as a Mexican business consortium were close to reaching an agreement with the club’s hierarchy.
Ronaldo is currently a charity ambassador for his former side Real Madrid. Newly-promoted Valladolid have been offered a new lease of life after it was reported that they were €25M into debts. In a statement Ronaldo said:
“We want to build the best team possible to compete and will be transparent in our management. Trust us to consolidate Real Valladolid in La Liga and for us to be able to grow the enthusiasm that there is.
Together, I’m convinced that it will be very difficult to beat us. I want everyone to help build this club and I invite the fans to take part in this project. Give us ideas, opinions, criticisms and hopes. I want you to be a part of the present and future of Real Valladolid.”
In January, the 41-year-old spoke of his intentions for the future in an interview with La Folha de Sao Paulo. “It would be a great honour to preside over the Brazil Football Federation, but before I want to have experience managing a great club.
I am thinking about buying a team in the second division in Spain or England. I want to do something innovative. I think I’m ready for that challenge,” he said.
Ronaldo already has experience on the board of a football club. In 2014, he became part owner of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. He ended his association with Fort Lauderdale in 2017, selling his 20 percent share in the club. But now the ex-Real Madrid man looks likely to return to the game with his purchas of Valladolid, whose current major shareholder is club president, Carlos Suárez.