Former football player Ronaldo Nazario becomes majority owner of Cruzeiro

In April, it was announced that Ronaldo Nazario had signed a contract that made him 90 percent owner of Brazilian club Cruzeiro, one of the most traditional clubs in the country. The club, where he signed at the age of 18, has been experiencing economic and results crisis since 2019.

The negotiations were not easy and took about four months. The acquisition and change of the club's articles of association were made possible through a business group led by Ronaldo, who is also the majority shareholder of Spanish club Real Valladolid. While for many football players the real challenge comes after hanging up their boots, it seems that Ronaldo has found his new path as a businessman in sports.

After finding stability as the owner of Real Valladolid, which he acquired 51 percent of the shares in 2018 and increased to 82 percent in 2020, Ronaldo focused on giving back to the team where he grew professionally since his debut in 1992 in Belo Horizonte. The former striker of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Milan has earned his place as a successful owner, as Valladolid was promoted this year, just like Cruzeiro.

In fact, after the promotion of the Spanish club, Ronaldo fulfilled his promise as president and cycled 450 km on an electric bike along the "Camino de Invierno" route of the "Camino de Santiago," where hundreds of pilgrims pass through every year. In less than five months, he did the same with Cruzeiro this September. The Brazilian club achieved promotion to Serie A after three years, so they are already calling it a miracle as a manager.

JR