Ronaldo to buy Valladolid

Retired Brazil striker set to end La Liga club ownership dispute for  €30m

 

Former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo Nazario is in advanced talks to buy Spanish top-flight soccer club Real Valladolid for €30 million (US$35 million), according to domestic reports.

The deal would see the former Brazil international become the newly promoted club’s president, replacing Carlos Suarez – who will remain on the club’s board as chief executive.

Any successful deal would see an end to months of negotiations over ownership of the club, which saw an agreement with Mexican businessman Ernesto Tinajero collapse after Suarez broke a signed pre-contract agreement.

A complex shareholder dispute between the ex-president and former partner in Ronaldo’s wine business, Jose Moro, and Jose Luis Losada – both Valladolid vice-presidents last season – complicated the entire operation.

Ronaldo hinted at such a move back in January, saying: “I would like to buy a team in the second division of Spain or England. I want to do something innovative.”

Since those comments, Valladolid has been promoted to La Liga after a five-year absence – drawing their opening game at Girona before a narrow loss to Barcelona last weekend.

The Brazilian had previously owned a stake in now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) outfit Fort Lauderdale Strikers.