Mueez Ajao
– Gianluigi Buffon has become the latest big name within Italian football to speak poorly of Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact on Juventus after his 2018 arrival from Real Madrid.
– The Portuguese joined Italy’s Old Lady from Los Blancos for a three-year spell, in which time many around Italian football believe Juventus regressed. Having won seven straight Serie A titles prior to his arrival, they won two more before losing out to Inter last season.
– Away from domestic action, Juventus had been to two Champions League finals in the four years prior to his arrival but never made it beyond the quarter-finals with him.
Also Read: Ronaldo’s penalty secure win for Man Utd as Rangnick’s fruitful start
– “Juventus had the chance to win the Champions League the first year he was there, when I was at Paris Saint-Germain,” Buffon said in an interview with TUDN. “I couldn’t understand what happened.
– “When I returned I worked with him for two years and we did well, but I think Juventus lost their team DNA while he was there.
– “We reached the 2017 Champions League final because we were a team packed with experience, but above all we were a team. We lost that with Ronaldo.”
– Leonardo Bonucci had previously told The Athletic that Juventus’ players subconsciously grew over-reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo after his arrival.
