Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo has done a deal with Portugal’s biggest hotel chain Pestana, investing in four hotels said to be worth £54 million.
The first of the hotels will be opened near the Cristiano Ronaldo museum in the stars hometown of Funchal on the island of Madeira.
The second will be built in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon where Ronaldo started his career with Sporting, and the third where he plays now with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The Lisbon hotel will open in 2016 with the Madrid hotel to open a year later in 2017; the fourth hotel is set to be built in New York with speculation of a possible move to the MLS on the cards once the 30-year-old decides to leave Los Blanco’s.
Speaking about his new venture Ronaldo said: “My job is to play football but life won’t always be like this.”
“I have to dedicate myself to this new project and I have the best team in the world around me to help.
“I am young but I feel very fulfilled so this project is exciting for me. I’m thinking about my future, and my son and my family. A person like me, I’m a fighter, ambitious and always striving for more.”
And while he is not likely to be involved in the daily running of the hotels, he did admit to wanting to play a role.
“I’ll take care of the beds,” Ronaldo joked. “I will have the opportunity to be present as all the projects unroll but, of course, I don’t have much time available at the present but this is all about quality. And I like to be around quality.”