Brazilian Ronaldo may be the owner and president of Real Valladolid, but he is hardly ever seen there. Now he has made a surprise visit.
Only the closest circle knew about it. “Il Fenomeno” Ronaldo showed up at the club grounds in Valladolid on Friday. And that is actually a bit phenomenal.
The president and major shareholder did not show up in northern Spain for almost three months, but he had attended a shareholders’ meeting around Christmas. Now he visited the players and the coaching staff, entering the pitch alongside academy player David Torres and the new first team coach, Alvaro Rubio.
In an interview with Radio Marca, the 48-year-old addressed the current situation at the club. Valladolid are bottom of the table and face an 18-point gap when they host 17th-placed Valencia on Saturday. “I still have a lot of enthusiasm, I still believe in the team,” said the 2002 World Cup winner. “I hope we can respond and get out of this situation.”
Ronaldo has gone from being a savior to a persona non grata with the fans. Meanwhile, signs reading “Ronaldo vete ya!” (Ronaldo, go away!) or “Ronaldo, go home” can be seen repeatedly in the stadium, including at the 1-1 draw against Las Palmas last Friday.
Since he took over the majority of the club’s shares in 2018 with 82.7 percent, little has happened at the traditional club, which nevertheless commented favorably on the flying visit. “Many thanks to the president for visiting the team today before the game in Valencia,” it said via X, along with a photo of Ronaldo with players in the locker room.
Ronaldo still willing to sell
The outgoing president and main shareholder was also asked about a possible imminent sale of Real Valladolid. “I have received some offers that do not reflect what the club is worth,” said Ronaldo. “There are rumors again, but we are working every day to make the club better and better, and when ownership passes to the next person, they will find a club in good condition.” He did not know when that would be, the Brazilian continued. ‘At the moment there are talks, we are talking to people, but there are no offers.’
