Cristiano Ronaldo may be nearing the end of his playing career, but he has his sights set on a new challenge: club ownership. However, a potential takeover of Valencia has been ruled out by current owner Peter Lim.
Valencia owner Peter Lim has seemingly put an end to rumors that Cristiano Ronaldo might be in line to buy the La Liga club.
Lim has held a majority stake in the Spanish team since 2014. In the same year, he acquired a 50% stake in English lower-league side Salford City. He sold his stake in the League Two club to co-owner Gary Neville last year, whom he famously appointed as Valencia manager 10 years prior.
Speculation has been rife that Ronaldo – one of Neville’s former Manchester United team-mates – is interested in buying Valencia from Lim. The two have had a business relationship before, with Lim’s company Mint Media purchasing a portion of Ronaldo’s image rights in 2015.
Rumors of Ronaldo’s potential purchase of Valencia have been circulating in recent months, following claims by Spanish radio station Cope Cadena that Lim had told PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi the club was on the market for $438 million (€400M).
The speculation was further fueled by Mundo Deportivo columnist Julian Redondo, who stated that the Portuguese striker would be “the next owner of Valencia if they stay in La Liga”. However, Lim has previously stated to Singaporean media that he has no intention of selling the club.
Lim reaffirms commitment to Valencia
In March, he reaffirmed his family’s long-term commitment to Valencia by appointing his son Kiat Lim as club president. The outgoing president Chan Lay Hoon described the decision as a “strong affirmation” of the owner’s continued involvement with Valencia.
“I am pleased to pass the baton to Kiat Lim, who is the son of our major shareholder,” the ex-club president said. “This appointment is a strong affirmation of the shareholder’s (Peter’s) ongoing commitment to the club and its future.”
Ronaldo remains focused on playing career
Ronaldo has yet to comment on the speculation about a potential Valencia takeover. The Al-Nassr star remains dedicated as he enters the final phase of his playing career but hinted at ownership ambitions during a February interview with Portuguese outlet Canal 11.
“Tomorrow, I turn 40 and am still playing, enjoying soccer, scoring goals and making a difference,” Ronaldo said. “I never thought it would be possible, obviously. But it has been quite a beautiful challenge, in my opinion.”
“Do I still like training? Yes, I still enjoy training. Is it the same as when I was 20? No, it’s not the same, but I still have the passion. For example, doing a finishing drill, competing with others, using my left foot, right foot… I still enjoy it.”
