Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos Close to Shock Brazilian Club Takeover

Brazilian football legends Ronaldo Nazário and Roberto Carlos are on the verge of becoming club owners after an investor group featuring the iconic duo received overwhelming approval to acquire 80% of Internacional de Limeira’s football operations.

The proposed takeover could inject hundreds of millions of Brazilian reais into the historic club and launch an ambitious plan to take Internacional de Limeira back towards Brazil’s top flight.

Members overwhelmingly approve the deal

The club’s Extraordinary General Assembly voted 53–1 in favour of creating a Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) and transferring an 80% stake to the investor group.

The proposed transaction is valued at up to R$450 million (£64m/$87m).

The deal still requires final bureaucratic clearance and approval from the relevant governing bodies before it can be completed.

If everything goes through, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos will become part of a consortium taking significant control of the club.

A star-studded investment group

The consortium is led by executive Enrico Ambrogini, who has previously worked alongside Ronaldo at Cruzeiro and Real Valladolid.

The group also includes Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and an African investor.

The plan isn’t simply to put money into the club.

Ambrogini has outlined a long-term business strategy designed to make Internacional de Limeira financially sustainable while also pushing the club up Brazil’s football pyramid.

From Paulista champions to rebuilding project

Internacional de Limeira have a proud history, having won the Campeonato Paulista in 1986 and Serie B in 1988.

However, the club subsequently suffered a dramatic decline through the Brazilian football divisions.

The new project aims to reverse that slide.

The business plan reportedly projects R$454 million in investment over 10 years, with the ambition of returning the club to the Paulista top division within three years, reaching Brazil’s Serie B within six years and potentially making it to Serie A between years six and ten.

Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos back another Brazilian project

The potential takeover adds another chapter to Ronaldo’s growing involvement in Brazilian football.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner has already moved into club ownership and football investment following his legendary playing career.

Roberto Carlos, meanwhile, is one of Brazil’s most recognisable football figures, having enjoyed a decorated career with Real Madrid and the national team.

Now, the pair could combine their football expertise with a major investment project.

From lifting trophies as Brazil legends to helping rebuild a Brazilian club — Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos could soon have a very different role in football.

The big question is whether their ambitious project can take Internacional de Limeira all the way back to Brazil’s top flight.