Cristiano Ronaldo has been at the forefront of football for the past two decades as a footballer. and now the Portuguese superstar will look to do so in a different capacity too.
The 41-year-old continues to plunder in the goals but he will have new ambitions of his own after becoming a co-owner of UD Almeria.
On Thursday morning it was announced that Ronaldo has bought a 25 per cent share in the club – and will be held under CR7 Sports Investments, a newly established subsidiary of his.
‘It has been a longtime ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch,’ the Al-Nassr and Portugal captain, who is now an active player and co-owner, said in a statement.
‘UD Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the club’s next phase of growth.’
The purchase figure hasn’t been disclosed but marks Ronaldo’s return to Spanish football after nine trophy-laden seasons at Real Madrid before he left for Juventus in the summer of 2018.
Cristiano Ronaldo is now a football club owner after buying a 25 per cent share in UD Almeria
His involvement also comes a year after the Spanish second division side were taken over by a Saudi investment group.
It is understood that Ronaldo has a close relationship with the group’s leader Mohamed Al Khereiji – who is reported to have helped facilitiate his move to Al-Nassr in 2022 after his acrimonious exit from Manchester United.
Al Khereiji, who is UD Almeria club president said: ‘We are very pleased that Cristiano has chosen our club to invest in.
‘He is regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, he knows the Spanish leagues very well and he understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy.’
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