BRAZILIAN soccer great Ronaldo has completed the purchase of a majority stake in Cruzeiro, the club that launched his glittering professional career.

The 45-year-old agreed to pay 400 million reais (US$70 million) for 90 percent of Cruzeiro’s shares in a deal coordinated by Brazilian investment bank XP.

“I’m very happy to have concluded this operation,” Ronaldo told reporters on Saturday. “I want to give something back to Cruzeiro and help them return to where they belong,” he added, referring to Cruzeiro’s current position in Brazil’s Serie B.

The announcement came a day after Cruzeiro’s members voted in favor of a change to bylaws that allows the club to be acquired by investors.

In August, Brazil’s parliament approved a law that paved the way for clubs, which have historically been owned by fans, to be transformed into limited companies.

“We are certain that this will be a pioneering initiative in Brazilian soccer,” Cruzeiro president Sergio Rodrigues said.

XP chief executive Jose Berenguer said the transaction would be the “first of many” similar deals in the South American country as debt-saddled clubs seek a financial lifeline.

Two-time Brazilian Serie A champions Botafogo are expected to be the next side to become privately owned and run as a profit-orientated company.

“This is the first bit of business in an important new frontier for the investment banking market in Brazil, the country of football,” Berenguer said.(Xinhua)