Mueez Ajao
It is impossible to replace a goal machine like Ronaldo’ – Juventus legends
– Sergio Brio and Alessio Tacchinardi believe the five-time Ballon d’Or winner should have handled his departure from the Serie A giants differently.
– The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, after entering the final year of his contract, is now back in England after completing an emotional return to Manchester United.
– Ronaldo, who has become the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, has left a sizeable void at Allianz Stadium, with Juve given no time in which to find a suitable replacement.
– Brio, Telling Tuttosport: “Ronaldo should have left in a different way, not on his private jet while Allegri was talking to the team before the game against Empoli. I expected a press conference to say goodbye to the fans. They deserved something different.
– “There are no more legends such as [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Francesco] Totti, [Paolo] Maldini or [Javier] Zanetti, but it wasn’t nice to hear from Ronaldo that he was going back to a place he feels like home.
– “He put Juventus in a difficult situation, leaving a few days before the end of the transfer window, it is impossible to replace a goal machine like him.”
– He added: “Juventus deserve more respect, I didn’t expect Ronaldo to snub the club like this. It was not nice of him.
– “I always speak highly of the three clubs where I played: Juventus, Lecce and Pistoiese because they signed me and believed in me. Cristiano is a great professional, but his farewell should have been different.
– “Perhaps they didn’t break up gracefully, but I am convinced it was the right thing for the player and the club. If a player is forced to stay, he could cause damage to his team-mates and the club.”
– Ronaldo scored 101 goals for Juve in 134 appearances, helping them to two Serie A titles, but failed to land another Champions League crown during his time in Italy and is now tied to a two-year contract with United.
