A gorgeous invitation has been made to Cristiano Ronaldo to come back to the European football and the person who has offered it to him could not have sounded more excited.
The fact that the Portuguese soccer icon has just become a 25 per cent shareholder in UD Almeria, the Spanish second-division football team, has been publicly endorsed by the club head coach, Rubi. To millions of fans all over the world the thought of CR7 back on European soil is something one cannot afford to miss.
Ronaldo is Made a Club owner in Spain.
Ronaldo, 41, became the owner of 25% of UD Almeria under his CR7 Sports Investments company, and the transaction was termed as a long-term strategic investment.
The decision is a big milestone, and it is a first that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is taking a step into becoming a club owner and remains a player in the field.
LaLiga relegated Almeria in 2023-24 and are now in the third position in the second division of the Spanish championship and are aggressively striving to promote themselves.
Ronaldo himself was very clear on what he wanted.
It is a long-term dream of mine to make a contribution to football, off the field. UD Almeria is a Spanish team, which has solid foundations and definite growth prospects.
It is a man who is future-oriented. What his coach thinks of now is something different.
Rubi Opens the Door Wide
Almeraria coach Rubi did not spare words when he was questioned whether he thought Ronaldo could become a player in the club. Upon the announcement of the ownership, the previous Real Betis manager said:
It would be wonderful to have him playing here and extraordinary, but that is a question he must answer.
Those words say everything. Rubi was not being polite he was being truthful.
He has also gone a step further and stated clearly that the whole club would embrace Ronaldo as a footballer and not a boardroom figure:
This is his club and, in case he has wished to play any longer, no matter the coach, he would be welcomed with open arms. I have no doubt about that.”
It is an unusual type of public invitation. A manager on record suggesting to one of the most well-known sportsmen in the world that the door is open. It shows the extent of the excitement that the entry of Ronaldo has brought in Andalusian club.
We Are Very Happy- A Club Transformed.
The effect of the investment made by Ronaldo was observed instantly. His brand influence has already started to change the course of Almereria in only 24 hours, already starting to be referred to by a lot of people as the GOAT effect.
Rubi managed to portray the atmosphere in the club:
“We are very happy. Obviously, we welcome him. I believe that it is a wonderful news as a person like him who knows everything about sport and football 100 percent can help our club.
He added:
It is a great opportunity to the entire club and to the city.
An official statement by UD Almeria stated that Ronaldo was incorporated into the ownership of SMC Group consortium led by Saudi businessman Mohamed Al-Khereiji who was excited with the experience of Ronaldo in Spanish football and his knowledge of the long term potential of the club.
A Player-Owner Scenario Unparalleled.
It is a case that is truly a one-of-a-kind in the modern football. Ronaldo is an energetic athlete – still contracted to Al-Nassr until June of 2027 – who is now a co-owner of a European club. He makes over 175 million in a year in Saudi Arabia and was declared by Bloomberg in October as the first billionaire in football.
A transfer to Almeria would be a rarity on this level: a footballer playing in a club that he shares half-ownership with. It would be bold. It would be historic. It would be very Ronaldo.
But there is no tangible action a move of this kind has been verified to take. Ronaldo has made it clear in public that he is a player dedicated to Al-Nassr and Saudi Arabia.
The scenario of the player-owner to date is just a possibility but not a scheme.
What Comes Next
In LaLiga 2, almereria are well placed and targeting to come back to the first level. The club has already gained visibility overnight with Ronaldo as its global profile behind them, even as an investor alone.
Still, whether Ronaldo will ever swap his Al-Nassr shirt with the red and white of Almeria is yet to be observed. However, there is no doubt that the door has been left wide open by Rubi, and the football world is waiting to see whether CR7 is going to step through the door.
