Lourenço had an active participation in Cruzeiro in recent years. Supermercados BH was the main sponsor and one of the team’s major financial supporters. The businessman helped pay the salaries of players and staff when the club was relegated and continued to help football financially.
At 47 years old, Ronaldo entered his career as a businessman after hanging up his boots. The hero of the Brazilian team’s fifth world championship is a partner in several holding companies. Among them is Tara Sports, based in Madrid, Spain, and responsible for managing Real Valladolid, a Spanish team whose Brazilian has been a majority shareholder since 2018 after purchasing 51% of the shares for 30 million euros (around R$141 million). ), and president since 2022.
The Brazilian’s objective was to make Valladolid compete in European competitions from the fifth year of his management. However, the Spanish team was relegated in the 2020/21 season, rose the following year, but fell again in 2022/23. The Brazilian is a frequent target of protest from fans and does not rule out negotiating his part in the shares. The high taxes charged in Spain are an obstacle.
Relegated in 2019, Cruzeiro spent three seasons in the second division, returning to compete in the elite of Brazilian football only last yearwhen they fought again against relegation and finished in 14th place, qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana.
Recently, the team fired Argentine coach Nicolás Larcamón after being eliminated in the first phase of the Copa do Brasil for the modest Sousa, from Paraíba. Fernando Seabra, former under-20 coach, took over the team.
