Cruzeiro’s interim football director, Paulo André, explained Elias’ role behind the scenes at the celestial club and also at Real Valladolid, in Spain, both managed by Ronaldo.
According to Paulo Andre, Elias does not participate in football decisions at either institution. The former player’s job is to be a kind of advisor to Ronaldo.
On some occasions, the former midfielder appeared alongside Cruzeiro leaders at Mineirão, in Belo Horizonte, which intrigues fans on social media.
“Elias has no role or decision-making power at Cruzeiro or Valladolid. He’s not in everyday life. He is Ronaldo’s exclusive advisor to follow training and games. he doesn’t participate in executive meetings,” said Paulo André.
New role within Cruzeiro
At the press conference, the now football executive evaluated his own work as head of Cruzeiro’s strategy department.
“I was hired in June 2021, when Valladilid fell to the Second Division, to define the new coach and structure. Six months later, Ronaldo bought Cruzeiro and invited me to do the same thing here. I always talk about football, I don’t talk about the business as a whole, the administrative part, debt things. My role was to give Pedro Martins autonomy. I haven’t been to the day to day very often. I participated in the big discussions, but the routine decisions, in general, the director is fully capable of handling in the way he sees fit”, he pondered.
During the interview, Paulo André also said what his obligations will be as football director.
“My role as football director is to be the de facto spokesperson, in good times and bad. I will be there whenever needed to provide Cruzeiro’s voice, day to day, routine, successes and failures that we may have. Previously, it was not my role. I spent two years without appearing, believing that we have a CEO [Gabriel Lima]football director, an owner [Ronaldo] which is always exposed. It didn’t make sense to be another spokesperson in this whole chain”, he concluded.
