PSV will cooperate with the Brazilian Cruzeiro. Former PSV player Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima is a major shareholder in the four-time Brazilian national champion.
The clubs will start with several projects in the coming years. For example, coaches and trainers and possibly also (youth) teams and players are exchanged. Knowledge will also be shared in the field of scouting. The partnership is about more than just football: the sponsors and partners of PSV also want to gain a foothold in the Brazilian market.
After agreements with Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico) and Austin FC (United States), it is the third international collaboration that PSV has entered into with another club in a short time. “Through these kinds of strategic partnerships with clubs from other continents, we think we can strengthen our competitive position in the world of international football,” says Marcel Brands, general manager of PSV.
In 1994, PSV bought the then seventeen-year-old Ronaldo from Cruzeiro for the equivalent of more than 5 million euros. The striker played in Eindhoven for two years and then caused a furore at FC Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid and AC Milan, among others. The two-time Golden Ball winner owns 90 percent of the shares. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is also a former Cruzeiro player.
Cruzeiro is currently first in the Brazilian Serie B (the second tier), but is already assured of the championship. The team will therefore be playing at the highest level again next season. The club won the national championship in 1966, 2003, 2013 and 2014.
