CRISTIANO RONALDO
Cristiano Ronaldo set to buy stake in major media group
Ronaldo is reportedly on the verge of purchasing a 30% stake in COFINA, which owns major Portuguese media outlets such as the Correio da Manhã and CMTV.
As his playing career draws to a close, Cristiano Ronaldo’s preparations for life after soccer continue. The Al Nassr forward is reportedly about to expand his already extensive business portfolio by purchasing a stake in a media group.
According to several media outlets in Ronaldo’s native Portugal, the 38-year-old plans to buy a 30% stake in COFINA, one of the country’s major media conglomerates.
COFINA owns the national newspapers the Correio da Manhã and Record, as well as the television broadcaster Correio da Manhã TV (CMTV). Correio da Manhã is Portugal’s most-read paper, while CMTV is the nation’s most-watched cable TV channel.
Potential Ronaldo involvement “an honour” - COFINA chief
The deal, which OK Diario reports has already been agreed, has been in the works for several months. A source close to Ronaldo’s camp says the player is “very enthusiastic” about the project. “He’s a winner, so he’s happy to be associated with winning projects,” the same source said.
“Having Cristiano with us, the best soccer player in history, a unique sportsman who stands for values such as determination, rigor, hard work and resilience, is an honour,” COFINA CEO Luis Santana has said, according to OK Diario.
Ronaldo’s disagreements with Correio da Manhã, CMTV
In the past, Ronaldo has had run-ins with the Correio da Manhã and CMTV.
In a press conference in 2014, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner refused to answer a question from one of CMTV’s reporters, apparently because he was unhappy with a Correio da Manhã report over his influence on Portugal team selection.
“I don’t have any respect for that newspaper,” he said at the time. “It’s always making up stories.”
Two years later, Ronaldo reacted spectacularly badly to a question by a CMTV reporter as Portugal prepared for a crucial group game at Euro 2016, a tournament the Seleçao went on to win. Approached by the journalist, the player grabbed his microphone and threw it into a lake.