Much has been said about Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s time at Juventus since the Italian champions were knocked out of the Champions League against Porto in midweek.
Despite having won the Serie A title twice since joining the Old Lady in 2018, some believe that Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to deliver what he was really signed for, which was to win the Champions League.
Former Juventus player Alessio Tacchinardi told TMW Radio that he expected an apology from the No.7 after the loss to Porto.
“He [Cristiano Ronaldo] was rested in last weekend’s game against Lazio, so what was he doing against Porto?” Tacchinardi said. “Federico Chiesa went to talk on TV, but I would have expected Ronaldo to do so. He also has to apologise to the fans.”
Former Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli went further, saying the signing was a complete mistake on Juventus’ part.
“Was purchasing Cristiano Ronaldo a mistake? Absolutely yes,” Cobolli declared in an interview with Radio Punto Nuovo. “It’s Juventus’ business whether to sell Ronaldo or not, but he’s costing about one million per goal.
“I said this from day one, I have appreciation for the great champion that he is, but he is too expensive and needs too much conditioning.”
But the Portuguese started to answer his critics immediately, and scored a hat-trick in the first half as Juventus returned to Serie A action away at Cagliari on Sunday.
Within 10 minutes in Sardinia, Cristiano had headed in Juventus’ opener. With 32 minutes played, he had scored three, although he might have seen red for a high foot that caught Casteddu goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face before converting a penalty for his second of the day.
In typical fashion, the 36-year-old had warned that a big performance was to come at Cagliari.
“More important than the number of falls you take in life, is how fast and how strong you get back on your feet… True champions never break!” Cristiano had posted on Instagram.
“Our focus is already in Cagliari, in the Serie A struggle, in the Italian Cup final and in everything that we can still achieve this season.
“It’s true that the past belongs in museums (I should say!), but fortunately, football has [a] memory… and so do I!
“History can’t be deleted, it’s written every single day with resilience, team spirit, persistence and lots of hard work. And those who don’t understand this, will never achieve glory and success.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently Serie A’s top scorer, and looks determined to keep Juventus in the title race until the end. He could still end the season with a double, as Juventus take on Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final as well.