NEW RUBRO-NEGRO
Leão’s new midfielder signed a contract until the end of this year, but hopes to stay for longer
Published on January 9, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Ronaldo steering wheel was officially presented by Vitória Credit: Victor Ferreira/EC Vitória
This Thursday morning (9) featured another double presentation. Former Criciúma, Ronald arrived at the club praising the Vitória fans and was eager to score his first goal with the Leão shirt. The new red-and-black midfielder also confessed to knowing some of the corners and even pulled out the famous “if you call me, I go”.
Initially, the player spoke about the reasons that made him sign a contract with Leão. The structure of the Barradão sports complex, the team’s commitment and the strength of the fans were highlighted by the midfielder. “We came here to aggregate, we know that the group won last year because they were all together, they had the nation pushing the team and when the games were here, it was difficult because of that. It was ideal for Vitória to achieve last year’s goals”, he explained.
“Vitória is a giant club. It was boring to play against because of the fans. I see it as a great opportunity in my life to wear this shirt. I hope to do my best here to stay at Vitória and establish myself within the Brazilian scene”, he added.
Ronald Lopes was at Criciúma on loan from Fortaleza. Wearing the Santa Catarina team’s shirt, he played 32 times, scoring one goal and contributing two assists. Before, also in 2024, he played for Mirassol, where he made six games and one assist. Last year, he played for Cuiabá in 32 matches, with three goals and two assists.
At 27 years old, the midfielder was at the end of his contract with Fortaleza. For Leão do Pici, he played 110 duels, with three goals and five assists, and was champion of the Copa do Nordeste in 2022. Ronald made his base in the categories of Flamengo – where he shared a dressing room with Vinícius Júnior in the under-15s – and Nova Iguaçu , the club for which he was revealed. He also played for Juventus-SC, where he played in 11 matches and provided one assist, and Nacional de Muriaé.
The player defines himself as a fierce midfielder, with quality with the ball at his feet. Ronald was also one of the leaders of defensive and offensive duels at Criciúma. His debut as a midfielder should take place this Saturday (11), when Vitória hosts Barcelona de Ilhéus, at Barradão. If they score a goal, the desire is to share the celebration with the red and black fans.
“As I’m a guy who doesn’t score a lot of goals, [não tenho comemoração planejada]but I intend to look for a lot of goals, I get into the area a lot. We prepare the celebration right away and celebrate, but I’m looking forward to seeing the fans behind me and cheering with them”, he gave the message.
In addition to Ronald, coach Thiago Carpini has Ricardo Ryller, Willian Oliveira, Thiaguinho, Val Soares, Dionísio and Léo Naldi for the position. The strong competition in the steering wheel position is viewed positively by the new hire.
“I come to add, I know the competition there is. The midfield is very strong, solid and Vitória has a lot to gain from that and so do I. The greater the competition and the level of quality, I also have to increase my pitch. I’m prepared to find my space”, declared the midfielder from Rio.
