Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo Nazário are buying a São Paulo club together
Collected Photo
Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos is teaming up with former teammate Ronaldo Nazário to purchase the São Paulo state club Inter de Limeira. And, this is just the beginning—they also have plans to restructure several other clubs in the interior of São Paulo in the future.
During the 'Debate em Jogo' program on Wamo Channel, Roberto Carlos made his plan public about the club acquisition. Carlos said, "Ronaldo, myself, Henrique, and two other partners—an African and an Arab investor—are buying Inter de Limeira. Little by little, we are returning to football in the interior of São Paulo so that these clubs can be restructured and, in the future, produce better players for the national team."
Leading this project is Henrique Ambrosini, a well-known executive in the football corporation (SAF) sector. He has worked with Ronaldo as Operations Director at Cruzeiro, which Ronaldo owns, and also worked alongside him at Spain's Real Valladolid. Additionally, he served as CEO of Inter de Limeira from 2019 to 2021.
In April of this year, the club's Deliberative Council approved the proposal to convert into an SAF. According to the plan, a total of 454 million Brazilian reais will be invested in the club over the next 10 years. The goal is to elevate the team to Brazil's Série A within eight seasons while strengthening both its financial and sporting structures.
For the first two years—2026 and 2027—plans include an initial investment of up to 20 million reais. This funding will be allocated toward strengthening the main squad, developing the youth academy, modernizing administrative and technical infrastructure, and improving the training center and the Major Levy Sobrinho Stadium.
Currently, Inter de Limeira is undergoing a restructuring phase. The club, which currently sits at the top of Brazil's Série C, also aims to return to São Paulo state's top league next season.
Founded in 1913, Inter de Limeira's golden era was in the 1980s. In 1986, they became the first club from the interior of São Paulo to win the Paulista Championship, defeating Palmeiras in the final. Two years later, the club also won the Brazilian Série B title. After going through ups and downs, they have returned to national-level competitions in recent years.
