Everywhere he goes, Ronaldo Nazario is cheered. Except in Valladolid. President and majority shareholder of the Spanish team since 2018, the Brazilian football legend has already been in the fans’ sights for a while now. It must be said that Valladolid has already experienced two relegations in La Liga under his presidency, and that this 2024/2025 season, that of the return to the elite after a year in the hell of D2, has started badly. Fifteenth with only one victory in four days and a thrashing against FC Barcelona (7-0), Paulo Pezzolano’s troops are worrying.
As explained RelevoValladolid’s summer transfer window was the straw that broke the camel’s back for fans vallisoletanoswho already criticized the Brazilian for a pronounced lack of involvement, for example being very rarely present for the team’s matches. This summer, the transfer window was very complicated to manage, and several important players left, like Enzo Boyomo, who left for Osasuna, or Monchu, who went to Aris Salonika. For many supporters, the current squad is not as good as the one that was present in the second division last year. However, the club has digged deep into its pockets, spending 16.5 million euros, which is still respectable for a promoted team, knowing that it sold for 8.5 million euros.
A complicated summer transfer window
Pezzolano, for example, has no professional left-back in the squad. However, the club had reached an agreement with Tiago Araujo, Estoril’s full-back, for a transfer of €1.2 million, and had even done the photoshoot with his new jersey for the announcement of his transfer. However, Ronaldo had to get out the checkbook, which he did not do… While he waited in the city for 10 days, the player got tired of waiting and left for Portugal, the transfer therefore falling through. An example that reflects the often shaky management of the club, which is also not particularly helped by the financial fair play of La Liga.
It must be said that there are a lot of overpaid players in the squad, and the purchase options that became mandatory following the promotion for certain loaned players have also hurt. But many are also wondering where the money that comes into the club goes. With the sporting results not accompanying it, even if it is a promoted team with the sole objective of playing to stay up, the supporters are seriously starting to get fed up. Suffice to say that Ronaldo is, more than ever, persona non grata on the Pucela side…
