BRAZIL soccer great Ronaldo took over Monday as the majority stakeholder in recently promoted Spanish club Valladolid, saying he is bringing his soccer expertise to help the team succeed. Ronaldo now owns 51 percent of the shares of the club. He will preside over the board of directors while Carlos Suarez will remain club president, a job he held before Ronaldo’s arrival. “I’m really excited,” Ronaldo said at Valladolid’s city hall. “My entire life has been about football and this is another great challenge for me, a very big one.” The former Brazil striker said “transparency” and “competitiveness” will be part of the basis of his management. Financial details were not immediately available, but local media said the operation was worth about 30 million euros (US$35 million). Valladolid, which is based in a city of about 300,000 people, is playing in Spain’s top division for the 41st time in its 90-year history. (SD-Agencies) |