Behind Ronaldo s sky-high contract renewal: Former Real Madrid legend quietly leaves the field, Ronaldo s friend will serve as sports director

Ronaldo officially completed a contract renewal with Saudi club Riyadh and will play until 2027, when he will be at least 42 years old. This is not only a professional contract, but also a dual layout of business and competition. But behind this sensational football operation, a "victim" left the game in disgrace - club sports director Fernando Jero.

According to the British media "The Sun", the total value of Ronaldo's contract renewal this time is as high as 578 million euros, with an average of 289 million euros per year. This number once again made him the highest-paid active athlete in the world.

Specifically:

The basic annual salary exceeds 200 million euros;

The advertising endorsement income is about 60 million euros;

The contract also includes a number of bonus terms:

If you win the Saudi League championship, you will be rewarded with 10 million euros;

If you win the Asian Champions League championship, you will be awarded 7.5 million euros;

For each goal you score, there will be an additional bonus.

In addition, he also obtained a 15% stake in the club, with a valuation of nearly 40 million euros, and has additional terms such as renewal bonuses and loyalty bonuses.

According to Forbes data, Ronaldo's total career income has exceeded the 1 billion euro mark, becoming the first team athlete to achieve this achievement. His business empire includes a lifetime contract with Nike, personal brand CR7 underwear, gym, hotel, etc., which has long surpassed football itself.

Power layout outside football

This contract is not just a money transaction, it also gives Ronaldo a greater voice in the club. With his contract renewal, a series of personnel adjustments have begun within Riyadh Victory:

head coach Pioli has resigned;

CEO Majid Jaman Soruel has been fired;

sports director Jero will also leave.

Yero's departure is considered a "sacrilege" in Ronaldo's contract renewal. The two sides have differences in the direction of team building, especially in the fact that they have failed to reach an agreement on signings and tactical arrangements. Ronaldo hopes to build a lineup that truly has the strength to compete for the championship, and his current results obviously cannot satisfy his ambitions.

Coaches change coaches, players transfer, and Portugal helps to take over?

In addition to management changes, the team's lineup will also usher in a major reshuffle:

Manchester City's former player Laporte is very likely to leave the team;

Sadio Mane's position is also not stable;

The new coaching candidate surfaced, Portuguese coach Sergio Concesen and Jorge warm-up matches have been included in the shortlist;

In addition, Ronaldo's Portuguese youth team friend José Semedo is expected to join and become the club's sports director.

Royce's contract renewal was not smooth. As early as May 26 this year, he posted a meaningful update on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? It continues. Thank you everyone." This message sparked speculation from the outside world that some people think that he may leave Saudi Arabia and even consider retiring.

At that time, many clubs extended olive branches to him, including the Argentine Riverbed, Morocco Vidal de Casablanca, Egyptian Ahli, etc. Even another Saudi giant, Riyadh Crescent, was under consideration, but Ronaldo clearly refused to play for his mortal enemy.

In the end, with the direct intervention and coordination of Saudi top leaders, the heavy contract renewal was finalized. Club chairman Abdul Majid Al Maijde personally participated in the negotiations to ensure Ronaldo stayed and promised to increase investment to build a more competitive team.

Ronaldo's three goals: championship, World Cup, and 100-ball milestone

Although he is nearly 40 years old, Ronaldo is still full of fighting spirit. His next goal is very clear:

help Riyadh win important trophy;

represent Portugal in the 2026 World Cup and strive to win the championship;

become the first professional player in history to score 1,000 goals.