The Portuguese star took over the Spanish club last February
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr, has found himself embroiled in his first crisis with Almería FC, following his recent acquisition of a stake in the club.
On 26 February, Ronaldo announced that he had acquired a 25% stake in Almería, with this investment being incorporated into CR7 Sports Investments, a newly established subsidiary of CR7 SA.
About a month after the acquisition, Flamengo issued a strongly worded statement attacking Almería, who play in the Spanish second division, over a three-year-old deal.
The deal concerns the transfer of Brazilian winger Lázaro from Flamengo to Almería in the summer of 2022, for €7 million, according to press reports at the time.
Read also: In a first-of-its-kind move... Ronaldo’s status for the Al-Najma match has been decided
Flamengo stated in its release that the terms of the contract stipulated that Almería would bear any taxes imposed in Spain regarding the deal, which did not happen, forcing the Brazilian club to pay over €1.5 million.
The club noted that it had obtained a ruling from FIFA, some 590 days ago, ordering the payment of this sum; however, the Spanish club has been delaying compliance with this ruling, which has increased the debt to €1.8 million.
Flamengo concluded its statement by emphasising its confidence that the Court of Arbitration for Sport would take the appropriate decision regarding this case, in order to enforce the previous ruling and uphold the contractual relationship between the clubs.
It is worth noting that Lázaro, at the centre of the crisis, currently plays for Saudi club Al-Najma, having moved there from Almería in the summer of 2025. His next match will be against Ronaldo himself, tomorrow, Friday, when his team visits Al-Nassr at Al-Awal Park Stadium in the 27th round of the Roshen League.