Brazil legend Ronaldo revealed that he was interested in buying an English football team before investing in Real Valladolid.
Two-time World Cup winner, he was also one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. He scored more than 400 goals for both club and country.
RonaldoPlayed for some of Europe’s most important clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and both Milan clubs.
After his retirement, the 48 year-old went on to be a successful entrepreneur and then returned to football ownership in 2018.
He bought a majority stake in Spanish club Real Valladolid, but has revealed that he was in talks to buy two English clubs – Brentford and Charlton.
“I was looking for a team to buy and had the help of a few people with it,” Ronaldo told FourFourTwo.
“There were plenty of opportunities in England, and still are, but since the local leagues are probably the most organised and valuable in the world, the clubs there end up having a far higher valuation than anywhere else in Europe. It’s really interesting.
“Now we all see the Premier League-leading the way in the football industry while the other leagues are doing their best to catch up financially, because competing with English football is so difficult these days.
“Back then, there were some opportunities. Brentford were one team that offered me a job: I was able to meet them and learn about their business plan. It’s been a great experience.
“There were also clubs in the third tier with massive potential – Charlton, a London side with big tradition, approached me as well. But these were all opportunities requiring investment of more than £50m.
“In the end, I decided to purchase Valladolid for a cheaper price and keep the quality of life that I have in Madrid. The short distance between Madrid and Valladolid is very important because it allows me to stay close to my business the whole time, so I think it was the best decision that I could have made.”
At the time of Ronaldo’s interest, Brentford were in the Championship while Charlton were in League One, where they still are.
