It wasn’t Real Valladolid’s season, and they crashed back down to the second division. Now Ronaldo has decided to sell his shares in the Spanish club.
The La Liga bottom club announced on Friday that the Brazilian legend is selling his shares. The buyer is a North American investment company with financial support from a European fund. However, the deal still has to be approved by the Spanish sports authorities, according to the club’s statement.
In September 2018, the former world-class striker bought 51 percent of Valladolid’s shares. The club’s fans had protested vehemently against Ronaldo in recent weeks and called on him to “go home.” It was not the first time the Brazilian had faced fan resistance. In 2022, he had attempted to modernize the club’s logo. However, he withdrew this after protests.
This marks the end of a collaboration that both sides had imagined differently. Ronaldo had joined the club hoping that it would be playing in the Champions League within the next five years. It is now clear that this goal was far too ambitious.
A quiet and inglorious relegation this season
In recent years, Real Valladolid has developed into a classic yo-yo team. In the 2020/21 season, the team was relegated in 19th place, but managed to return to La Liga the following year. However, Valladolid once again only stayed in the Spanish top flight for one season, finishing 18th and returning to the Segunda Division. But once again, they were promoted straight back up. The team was unable to hold its own in the top flight, finishing bottom of the table with a meager 16 points from 37 games and being relegated without a whimper.
