“The chairman of the board of directors and majority shareholder of Real Valladolid, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, announces a deal has been signed for the transfer of a majority stake in the club to a North American investment group with the financial backing of a European fund,” the club said in an official statement.
The transaction, pending approval by Spain’s sports council, follows a turbulent period both on and off the pitch. Valladolid endured a disastrous 2024–25 season,losing 29 of their 37 matches and suffering another relegation from La Liga. The team’s performance sparked intense fan backlash, with supporters urging Ronaldo to leave.
Ronaldo, who famously won World Cups with Brazil in 1994 and 2002, initially acquired a 51% stake in Valladolid in September 2018. His tenure saw efforts to modernize the club—including an unpopular badge redesign in 2022, which was reversed two years later due to widespread fan opposition.
Valladolid has struggled with consistency in recent years, facing relegation in 2021 and again in 2023 after a brief return to Spain’s top flight. The club’s most recent campaign proved to be the final chapter of Ronaldo’s ownership.
Further details about the new ownership group are expected to be released soon.
