I consider myself an extraordinary person…and football is my investment identity

The Brazilian phenomenon Ronaldo Nazario confirmed that he considers himself an extraordinary personality, admitting that a bit of madness accompanied him throughout his life.

Ronaldo said during the closing session of the first day of the World Sports Summit, which was titled: “A Journey from Stadium Legend to Business Leadership, Building a New Legacy,” that football formed his basic investment identity as it did not leave him after retirement, and the round witch had a direct impact on his personality, which some see as a bit strange.

The Brazilian phenomenon spoke about his career after retiring in 2011, saying that he founded a sports marketing agency in Brazil in 2012 that bore the name “Nine,” after his famous number. The project was launched in the city of Sao Paulo, relying on his extensive relationships in football. This agency achieved great success, before the agency stumbled and declared bankruptcy due to weak profit margins, and not as a result of mismanagement, he said.

He added that he returned to the same field in 2016 by acquiring the Octagon agency in Brazil and Latin America. This project continued successfully for nearly 10 years, and was led by a young team of executives, describing that stage as one of the most important stations of his career.

Regarding his entry into the world of club ownership, Ronaldo revealed that in 2018 he began searching for a European club, before his choice settled on Real Valladolid, as he made an official offer to buy the club during the World Cup in Russia, at a time when the team was active in the second division.

He explained: “Owning a club in (La Liga) came by a stroke of luck, but it represented a great challenge in light of the huge financial differences between the clubs, especially Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.”

Ronaldo continued: “He relied on innovative solutions, by attracting players at a reasonable cost, and preserving the elements that advanced the team, in addition to restructuring the management by including competencies from Spain and Brazil, and this is what helped the team to remain in the first division for three consecutive seasons, and achieve historic victories against Barcelona.”

He stressed that the most important lesson he learned as president and owner of a club is that football is not just a popular passion, but rather a system of life for hundreds of thousands of people, and that engaging the masses, building belonging, and committing to transparency is one of the most important standards that club owners must pay attention to.

Ronaldo spoke about his educational experience, stressing that his real studies were in football itself, through contact with club presidents, executives, and financial experts.

He said: “I am a huge fan of Real Madrid and its unique experience. Club president Florentino Perez changed the history of modern football, after he saved the club from huge debts and invested intelligently in stars, which brought about a major shift in marketing and brand building.”

Ronaldo stressed the strength of his relationship with Perez, describing him as a “father,” noting that the “Galacticos” phase witnessed equal basic salaries, while he and David Beckham achieved the highest commercial returns, to the point that they actually played for free for a period, as a result of the large revenues they provided for the club.

Regarding training, he jokingly admitted that he did not like periods of physical preparation, especially with players who love to run long distances, pointing out that modern football has become smarter in physical preparation through individual programs that reduce suffering and increase efficiency.