Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario stated that he considers himself an extraordinary person, admitting that a touch of madness has accompanied him throughout his life. Ronaldo, speaking at the closing session of the first day of the Global Sports Summit titled 'A Journey from a Pitch Legend to Business Leadership: Building a New Legacy,' said that football shaped his core identity, never leaving him after his retirement. The ball had a direct impact on his personality, which some find a bit peculiar. The Brazilian legend spoke about his career after retiring from football in 2011, saying that in 2012 he founded a sports marketing agency in Brazil called 'Nine,' named after his famous jersey number. The project started in São Paulo, leveraging his extensive connections in football, and the agency achieved great success before it stumbled and declared bankruptcy due to weak profit margins, not poor management, as he put it. He added that he returned to the same field in 2016 by acquiring the 'Octagon' agency in Brazil and Latin America. This project successfully ran for about 10 years, led by a young team of executives, which he described as one of the most important stages of his career. Regarding entering club ownership, Ronaldo revealed that in 2018 he began searching for a European club before settling on Real Valladolid. He made a formal offer to buy the club during the World Cup in Russia, when the team was playing in the second division. He explained: 'Owning a club in La Liga was a stroke of luck, but it was a huge challenge given the massive financial disparities between clubs, especially Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico.' Ronaldo continued: 'I relied on innovative solutions by attracting players at a reasonable cost, retaining the elements that had promoted the team, alongside restructuring the management by bringing in talents from Spain and Brazil. This is what helped the team stay in the top division for three consecutive seasons and achieve historic victories over Barcelona.' He emphasized that the most important lesson he learned as a president and club owner is that football is not just a popular passion but a life system for hundreds of thousands of people, and that engaging fans, building a sense of belonging, and committing to transparency are among the most important criteria that club owners should care about. Ronaldo also talked about his educational experience, confirming that his real education was in football itself, through his interactions with club presidents, executives, and financial experts. He said: 'I am a big admirer of Real Madrid and its unique experience. The club's president, Florentino Perez, changed modern football after saving the club from huge debts and wisely investing in stars, which caused a major shift in marketing and branding.' Ronaldo confirmed the strength of his relationship with Perez, describing him as a 'father,' and noted that during the 'Galacticos' era, base salaries were equal, while he and David Beckham generated the highest commercial returns for the club, to the point that they effectively played for free for a period due to the huge revenues they provided the club. Regarding training, Ronaldo jokingly admitted that he did not like the physical preparation periods, especially with players who love to run long distances, pointing out that modern football has become smarter in physical preparation through individual programs that reduce suffering and increase efficiency.
