Ronaldo-owned club accused of refusing to transfer fee for Brazilian forward

Martin Macdonald

2 Apr 2026 05:30 CDT
3 min read

Almeria, owned partly by Cristiano Ronaldo, have been accused of refusing to pay a portion of a transfer fee for a deal that was done back in 2022.

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Four years ago, Almeria purchased striker Lazaro Vinicius from Flamengo for around €7 million. He has since moved on and now plays in Saudi Arabia with Al-Najma.

The Brazilian giants allege that they are still owed €1.6m from that deal and have released a lengthy, scathing statement pointing the finger not only at Almeria, but Ronaldo, who bought a stake in the Spanish side in February.

"ALMERÍA OWES FLAMENGO NEARLY €1.8 MILLION FOR 590 DAYS," the statement on X begins.

"In February, the athlete Cristiano Ronaldo acquired 25% of the Spanish club

"The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo publicly expresses its energetic repudiation of the conduct adopted by the Spanish club UD Almería, due to the breach of the contractual obligation assumed in the transfer of the athlete Lázaro, carried out in August 2022. After 590 days in a state of non-payment, the club has accumulated a debt estimated at more than €1.8 million, in flagrant disregard for the signed commitments and the rules that govern relations in international football.

"The case is objective and unequivocal: there is an express contractual obligation that assigns to the Spanish club the responsibility for the payment or reimbursement of the taxes applied in Spain. However, even after Flamengo was forced to assume said amounts—for an amount exceeding €1.5 million—and following a formal decision by FIFA that fully recognized its right to reimbursement, Almería chooses not to comply with its obligation. The debt after 590 days of non-payment exceeds €1,800,000.00.

"Instead, it adopts a repeated stance of resistance, relying on procedural resources of an eminently dilatory nature, in clear contradiction with the principles of good faith, contractual loyalty, and integrity that must govern relations between clubs in international football.

"This is not a one-off breach, but a conscious and deliberate conduct of postponement that undermines the legal certainty of contractual relations in football and compromises the credibility of the system.

"Flamengo trusts that the competent bodies, especially the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), will provide the due response to this behavior, ensuring compliance with the decisions already issued within the scope of FIFA and adherence to the commitments assumed.

"The Club will remain firm in the defense of its rights and in the protection of the integrity of contractual relations in football, alerting and seeking a forceful reaction from clubs, entities, and regulators."

Ronaldo invests in Almeria

An official announcement from the club in February confirmed that Ronaldo bought 25% of Almeria’s shares. These will be held under CR7 Sports Investments, which is a new subsidiary of CR7 SA, which holds the player’s investments in the sport sector.

The Portuguese superstar said: “It has been a longtime ambition of mine to contribute to football, beyond the pitch. UD Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to support the club's next phase of growth.”

Mohamed Al Khereiji, meanwhile, has hailed Ronaldo’s investment and is optimistic that the former Real Madrid’s insight will be vital to the development of Almeria.

The president said: “He is regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, he knows the Spanish leagues very well and he understands the potential of what we are building here both in terms of the team and the academy.”

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