He controls everything that happens on the pitch
Um dos maiores ídolos do futebol brasileiro retorna à origem não como jogador, mas como dono. Ronaldo, o Fenômeno, assinou acordo para adquirir 90% da SAF do Cruzeiro — clube onde floresceu antes de conquistar o mundo — comprometendo R$ 400 milhões numa aposta que une nostalgia e capitalismo sob o novo modelo societário do futebol brasileiro. É a primeira grande transação desse tipo no país, e carrega consigo tanto a promessa de reconstrução quanto a incerteza inerente a qualquer tentativa de ressuscitar grandezas passadas.
- O Cruzeiro, afundado em dívidas e salários atrasados, encontra em Ronaldo um investidor disposto a assumir não apenas o controle, mas também o passivo acumulado de anos de má gestão.
- A urgência é real: antes de qualquer projeto esportivo, o dinheiro precisará ser usado para apagar incêndios financeiros que paralisam o clube no dia a dia.
- O modelo SAF — que permite separar as operações de futebol da associação sem fins lucrativos — é testado em escala pela primeira vez, com os olhos do futebol brasileiro voltados para o desfecho.
- Ronaldo traz experiência prévia como acionista do Valladolid, mas o peso emocional e simbólico do Cruzeiro eleva o risco e a expectativa a outro patamar.
- O acordo está assinado, mas pendente de formalização burocrática; em semanas, Ronaldo deverá ter autoridade plena para remodelar elenco, contratos e estratégia do clube.
Numa tarde de dezembro, Ronaldo tornou-se dono do clube que o revelou. O acordo anunciado concede a ele 90% da SAF do Cruzeiro, com compromisso de investir R$ 400 milhões ao longo dos próximos anos. Trata-se da primeira grande operação sob o novo modelo societário do futebol brasileiro, que permite a clubes — legalmente constituídos como associações sem fins lucrativos — separar suas operações esportivas numa empresa independente, passível de compra e venda. O Cruzeiro retém 10% dessa nova estrutura; Ronaldo fica com o restante, assumindo o controle das decisões esportivas e a responsabilidade pelas dívidas acumuladas.
A prioridade imediata, segundo o presidente do clube, Sérgio Santos Rodrigues, é sanear as finanças: salários atrasados e passivos que travam o funcionamento básico da instituição precisam ser resolvidos antes que qualquer projeto de reconstrução esportiva ganhe forma. Apenas com essa base estabilizada é que o capital restante será direcionado ao elenco e à infraestrutura, num horizonte de cinco anos.
Não é a primeira vez que Ronaldo ocupa a cadeira de dirigente — ele já detém participação no Valladolid, da Espanha. Mas o Cruzeiro é outra coisa: é o clube da formação, do mito, da identidade. O peso dessa história acompanha o desafio empresarial. O acordo está firmado em proposta vinculante, com as formalidades burocráticas previstas para as próximas semanas. Quando concluídas, Ronaldo terá autoridade plena para reescrever o futuro de um clube que caiu longe de sua grandeza — embora o caminho entre a intenção e a restauração ainda esteja por ser percorrido.
On a Saturday afternoon in December, Ronaldo—the striker who once defined Cruzeiro's golden era—became the club's owner. The deal announced that day gave him 90 percent of the football operations company, or SAF, with a commitment to invest 400 million reais over the coming years. It was the first major transaction under Brazil's new club-company model, a legal structure designed to let nonprofit associations sell off their sports operations to private investors.
The mechanics are straightforward enough. Brazilian football clubs, bound by law as nonprofit associations, cannot be bought and sold like ordinary businesses. But the SAF model creates a workaround: the club spins off its football department into a separate company, which can then be traded. Cruzeiro retained 10 percent of its SAF; Ronaldo took the remaining 90 percent, making him the majority shareholder with control over all football decisions and responsibility for the club's mounting debts.
Ronaldo's role will be to stabilize the operation first, then build. According to Sérgio Santos Rodrigues, Cruzeiro's president, the immediate priority is clearing the backlog of unpaid salaries and settling debts that have crippled the club's ability to function. Only after that foundation is solid will the remaining investment capital flow into squad development and infrastructure over the five-year horizon.
This is not Ronaldo's first venture into club ownership. He already holds a stake in Valladolid, the Spanish club, giving him some experience navigating the complexities of running a professional football organization. But Cruzeiro is different—it is his club, the place where he became a legend before moving on to greater stages. The emotional weight of that history sits alongside the business challenge ahead.
The agreement itself is binding, though not yet final. Cruzeiro and Ronaldo have signed a binding proposal, but bureaucratic steps remain. Club officials said those formalities would be completed within weeks. Once they are, Ronaldo will have full authority to reshape the club's football strategy, negotiate player contracts, and chart a path back to relevance. For a club that has fallen far from its status as a Brazilian powerhouse, the arrival of a figure with Ronaldo's resources and football pedigree represents a significant turning point—though whether it leads to restoration or merely delays further decline remains to be seen.
Citas Notables
The priority at the start is to pay salaries and settle debts that make Cruzeiro's football operations viable, with investments continuing over the next five years— Sérgio Santos Rodrigues, Cruzeiro president
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does this deal matter beyond just one club changing hands?
Because it's the first real test of a new legal model in Brazilian football. The SAF structure was designed to let private money into clubs that were drowning in debt but couldn't be sold. Cruzeiro is the proof of concept.
So Ronaldo isn't buying the club itself—he's buying the football company?
Exactly. The club stays a nonprofit association. He owns the machinery that runs the sport. It's a distinction that matters legally, but on the ground, he controls everything that happens on the pitch.
What's the state of Cruzeiro right now that makes this necessary?
The club is buried. Unpaid salaries, crushing debts, a team that can't compete. They needed someone with capital and credibility to come in and stop the bleeding before anything else could happen.
Is 400 million reais enough to fix that?
It depends on how deep the hole is and how quickly they can stabilize operations. The plan is to use the first chunk just to pay what's owed and get the club functional again. The real investment in players and infrastructure comes later.
Why Ronaldo? Why not some other investor?
He's Cruzeiro. He played there, he's a legend there. He understands the club's history and what it should be. And he's already done this with Valladolid, so he knows the business side too.
What happens if this doesn't work?
Then the SAF model gets tested in failure, and other clubs watching this deal will think twice before trying it themselves.