Ronaldo: 'I nearly bought Brentford FC five years ago'
Brazilian football legend Ronaldo has said he nearly bought Premier League club Brentford.
Ronaldo, speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, said he was “very close to doing the deal” in 2016 or 2017 for the west London Premier League side.
The legendary striker, appearing on the show to promote his biographical documentary film, currently owns Spanish and Brazilian clubs Real Valladolid and Cruzeiro.
Asked by presenter Ben Shephard if he is looking at buying a third club in England, Ronaldo denied this but said: “Before I bought Real Valladolid, I was looking around in Europe and actually was living in London for three years, and was looking at many opportunities in London.
“I think it was a mistake not doing it, but for now it's too expensive.”
Pressed on which clubs he was looking to acquire at the time, he said: “I was very close to buying Brentford five or six years ago. I was very close to doing the deal.
“They are doing very well... but now I have two clubs, two problems, and I don't have any peace at weekends!”
At the time, Brentford were in the Championship, one divison below the Premier League.
The Bees were promoted to the Premier League last year currently sit 11th in the table. The club has been owned by Matthew Benham since 2012, and has been widely praised for its growth strategy, moving into a new stadium in 2020.
Yahoo News UK has approached Brentford for comment about Ronaldo’s claim.
Ronaldo is widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. At his peak while playing for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he had a near-perfect blend of pace, strength and supremely accurate finishing.
Read more: Brazilian club Cruzeiro promoted after Ronaldo's investment
He won two World Cups with Brazil, in 1994 and 2002, but in England he is perhaps best remembered for his stunning performance for Madrid in a Champions League game at Manchester United in 2003.
He was applauded off the pitch by the entire stadium - a rare occurrence in football - after scoring a hat-trick.
From the mid-2000s, Ronaldo entered physical decline, with injuries reducing his game time. He retired in 2011 while playing for Corinthians back in Brazil.
In retirement, he has pursued club ownership, becoming majority owner of Valladolid in 2018 and buying a controlling stake in his boyhood club Cruzeiro - where he started his playing career - last year.
