Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 92 goals in 121 games for Juventus, winning two Serie A titles and two Supercoppas in three years.
He has been a failure.
If that’s a reflection of his and his club’s pre-eminence, it’s also an acknowledgement of the very clear purpose behind his nine-figure move to Italy in 2018. Juventus did not drop 100 million on a 33-year-old to secure Serie A titles. They did not drop 100 million on a 33-year-old for a goal-per-game ratio that would nudge close to one per game. Both of those things were already givens.
Ronaldo was brought to Turin to deliver the thing Juventus craved most: a third Champions League crown after what has now extended to a 25-year wait.
The terms were harsh, the bar by which success or failure would be judged absurdly high. It was all or nothing.
And yet it’s somehow worse than that. It’s not just that Juventus have failed to scratch that Champions League itch, it’s that they look further away from it than ever. And now they might not even win Serie A.
Before Ronaldo’s arrival, Juve had been to the Champions League final twice in four years. Since he and his five Big Cup titles came to town, they have not been beyond the quarter-finals, and each of their exits – to Ajax in the last eight in 2019, Lyon in the last 16 and now Porto at the same stage – has been to supposedly inferior opposition.
The logic ran that Juve were close to winning the Champions League, and therefore signing the competition’s most prolific winner would tip them over the edge.
The problem with that logic is that frankly it’s bollocks, and betrays a dismal failure to understand how football actually works. That these decisions were made – or at least publicly trumpeted – by Andrea Agnelli means there will be little sympathy.
A man hell-bent on making sure things are easier for his club and others he deems worthy (Ajax and Porto specifically provide interesting problems for his own peculiar brand of legacy entitlement given they have four and two Champions League titles themselves, surely placing them at least on Juve’s gilded perch), Agnelli would perhaps have more joy with making sure Juventus don’t lose in the Champions League quite so often by concentrating more efforts on making Juventus a better football team.
While we can all enjoy the schadenfreude, it should terrify us anew that a man who has decided to make revolutionising and reordering European football his life’s goal is a man who believed turning Juve from contenders to champions was as simple as ‘throw all the money at Ronaldo’.
Juventus have gone from a team on the cusp to a confused rabble in thrall to the very specific playing style required of the gleaming superstar. His profile, and the club’s all-in financial investment, meant everything would have to be tailored to him. The result is a mess, a team torn apart by turning a desire for another European crown into an all-consuming destructive obsession.
That 10-man Porto’s decisive goal came from a free-kick that went through Ronaldo’s legs as he turned his back is an undeniably fitting motif for a gamble gone wrong.
If Juventus want to win another Champions League, they will have to get rid of Ronaldo. If he wants to win a sixth crown, he will have to leave Juventus.
Agnelli meanwhile is presumably working on a plan that gives former winners who play in black-and-white stripes a bye straight to the final.
Desmondeyum
702
In another words, Juventus wasted Ronaldo's 3 years. . This Ronaldo at Real Madrid was winning Champions League almost every year.
FootballChief
559
If you remember this celebration, you will understand Ronaldo did not fail juventus. Rather, Juventus failed Ronaldo
SouravMaheshwari
504
How can u Win Champions league with Mandzukic, Higuain and then Morata ......
weybikz
470
Here are some stat for Ronaldo at juventus from the stage they were excluded. Vs Ajax, he scored them a goal that ended 1-1. At second leg, he registered the first goal. They can't defend his goal and players were playing on their own. It ended 2-1 against juve. Vs Lyon. He scored an equalizer that was given champions league best goal of the year but they can't defend him also. Players were playing on their own. No creative midfielders. Vs Poto, he provide an assist. Cheasa scored twice. I won't blamed him because, he needs attrick. Can Ronaldo play the defensive role? No bo.
Buschester-United
305
Ronaldo was never a failure at Juventus rather Juventus board and players Failed him 😏
Adenekan99
147
juve players played against ronaldo until they destroyed their self. every match juve wins in champions league ronaldo was always taking the glory so they decide not to play for him again and thats where they fail. they didn't play for ronaldo they didn't build the team around him and it backfired.
Rasheedmech
11
They didn’t waste his time . He just couldn’t help him the way they wanted him too . That 2018 Real Madrid was the best . It his fault that he left and said he needed a new challenge
your comment literally shows that your football knowledge is too bad, in fact juve couldn't build a team around him. if you want to win the champions League you should have world class players whereas juve's midfield was below average. juve will not win champions League for next 20 seasons because their recruitment team is below par
Netekltz
9
Do you remember the cheer and standing ovation Juventus fans gave Ronaldo when he scored the over head kick against them??. It was lovely, they showed him love, despite he was an opponent. He decided to reciprocate the love by joining the team when the offer came. Which was good, particularly he wanted to help the team win the UCL, but the guys did not support him, the owners, the coaches and worst of all the players!!. They felt they could win with out Ronaldo impact, to the extent Ronaldo will be onside, and in position, one nincompoop will decide not to pass him the ball, because he does not want Ronaldo to score, and take the praises. Did they not see how the players at Man United & Real Madrid supported Ronaldo, at the end of the day, it was the entire team that benefited. Juventus defense is a nightmare, midfield is sick, winkers are selfish!! CR7 did what he could do!!
RonaldoTheDestroyer
8
They didn’t waste his time . He just couldn’t help him the way they wanted him too . That 2018 Real Madrid was the best . It his fault that he left and said he needed a new challenge
Man you know nothing in recent times whoever have won the UCL just look at their team,Chelsea have Kante Jorginho Havertz Mount in middle ,Bayern had Kimmich Muller Thiago Lewandowski Liverpool have Van Dijk Alexander Arnold Salah Mane Henderson Milner. What does Juve had Ronaldo Dybala and and where is there midfielders