Ronaldo withdraws candidacy for Brazilian federation presidency

Ronaldo Nazario confirmed on Wednesday that he is stepping away from his goal of presiding over the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) and will now refocus his attention on Real Valladolid. The presidency of the Spanish club was incompatible with his desire to take up such a key role in Brazilian football, meaning that, had he been elected, he would have been forced to sell the club to other owners.

"After publicly declaring my intention to run for the presidency of the CBF in the upcoming plenary session, I officially withdraw my candidacy. If the majority with decision-making power believes that Brazilian football is in good hands, my opinion matters little," Ronaldo began in a statement on Instagram, making it clear that his proposal had not generated interest from the regional football federations in Brazil.

"As I said before, my first steps would be to give clubs a voice and space, as well as listen to the federations to improve competitions and sports development in their states. The necessary change would come from this strategic alignment, backed by the strength of a shared vision. However, in my first contact with the 27 affiliates, I found 23 closed doors.

"The federations refused to welcome me into their homes, arguing their satisfaction with the current management and expressing support for the re-election. I couldn't present my project, share my ideas, or listen to their contributions, as there was no openness for dialogue," continued the owner of Real Valladolid in his public message.

"The statute grants federations the most significant vote, and therefore, it is clear that there is no way to reach an agreement. The majority of state leaders support the current president, which is their right, and I respect it, even though I do not share it. I thank everyone who showed interest in my initiative, and I still believe that the path to the evolution of Brazilian football lies, above all, in dialogue, transparency, and unity," Ronaldo concluded in a statement that has sparked considerable interaction on social media.

The end of the ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid player's goal suggests he will now focus all his efforts back on Real Valladolid, where he had gradually delegated more and more of his responsibilities. In the capital of Pisuerga, his candidacy was seen as a possible way to expedite the change of ownership, but that now seems uncertain.

Currently, the club from Valladolid occupies the last position in La Liga with only 16 points. Survival is 11 points away, with both Leganes and Valencia marking the line, but his team is not even close to UD Las Palmas and Deportivo Alaves, who sit just above the relegation zone with 24 and 26 points, respectively.