Former Juventus president says signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a 'mistake'

Former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli has sensationally claimed that signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a mistake which the Italian giants should not have made.

Cobolli's words arrive in the midst of a turbulent week for Ronaldo, who finds himself firmly under the spotlight after yet another premature Champions League exit with Juve.

Ronaldo could only watch on as Juve were dumped out of the Champions League at the first round of knockouts, to a Porto side who had a man sent off.

Juve had lost the first leg 2-1 but managed to initially overturn the deficit and take the second fixture into extra time by replicating the 2-1 scoreline.

Yet an 115th minute strike from Sergio Oliveira broke Ronaldo and Juventus' hearts, with the Italian crashing out of the competition on away goals with a 4-4 scoreline, after Adrien Rabiot had also scored in extra time.

Now, with the club in turmoil, ex-chief Cobolli has slammed Ronaldo and the decision-making process of his former employers.

He told Radio Punto Nuovo, as reported by Marca: 'Cristiano Ronaldo was a wrong purchase? Absolutely yes! I said it from day one, showing appreciation for a great champion that he is, but he is too expensive and too conditioning.

'It's Juventus' business to sell Ronaldo or not, but he's worth a million per goal.'

Cobolli's strong come following a very cryptic announcement by Juve's chief football officer Fabio Paratici earlier in the week, in which he outlined that the potential renewal of Ronaldo's contract is not presently 'on the agenda.'

'Fortunately, there's a year left on his contract; we have time eventually to discuss it with him', Paratici told Sky Italia.

''Let's just say it's not on the agenda right now.'

The five-times Champions League winner is in the minds of many considered the greatest footballer of all time, if not on a par with Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Throughout his career Ronaldo has been noted to excel in the Champions League, and is the tournament's all time leading goalscorer.

His two-and-a-half-years in Italian football so far have produced two league titles and two Coppa Italias, but no success on the European stage.

In his first season with Juve Ronaldo scored a remarkable hat-trick to secure progression against Atletico Madrid, only to later be eliminated by a plucky Ajax side in the quarter-finals.

Last season saw Ronaldo and Juve go out to Lyon in the round of 16 stage, while the same thing has now happened once again, this time to Porto.