Tag: Juventus

  • Ronaldo bids farewell to Juventus after joining Manchester United

    Cristiano Ronaldo has posted an emotional farewell to Juventus supporters after leaving the club.

    Manchester United have agreed to re-sign Ronaldo in a £19.4million deal, with his three-year spell at Juventus coming to an end.

    On Instagram Ronaldo posted a video of some of his most memorable moments in a Juventus shirt which was accompanied by a message.

    Ronaldo wrote: ‘Today I depart from an amazing club, the biggest in Italy and surely one of the biggest in all of Europe.

    ‘I gave my heart and soul for Juventus and I’ll always love the city of Turin until my final days. The ‘tifosi bianconeri’ always respected me and I tried to thank that respect by fighting for them in every game, every season, every competition.

    ‘In the end, we can all look back and realize that we achieved great things, not all that we wanted, but still, we wrote a pretty beautiful story together.’

    Ronaldo signed a four-year deal with Juventus in 2018 and proceeded to score 101 goals for the club in 134 appearances.

    During his time in Italy, Ronaldo won the Serie A title twice as well as the Coppa Italia.

  • Manchester United Reach Agreement To Re-Sign Ronaldo

    Manchester United Reach Agreement To Re-Sign Ronaldo

    Manchester United have reached a deal with Juventus to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

    United reportedly made an offer of € 25million (£ 21.3million) to Juventus on Friday and offered Ronaldo a two-year contract.

    Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes said an agreement for the Portuguese captain’s return to Old Trafford was very close.

    Confirming the news, an official United statement read: “Manchester United are delighted to confirm that the club have reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo, subject to an agreement on personal conditions, visa and medical care.

    “Everyone at the club is looking forward to welcoming Cristiano back to Manchester.”

    Manchester City were offered the option of signing Ronaldo and considered taking a step, but withdrew from negotiations on Friday.

  • Barcelona to offer Juventus three players in swap deal for Ronaldo

    Barcelona to offer Juventus three players in swap deal for Ronaldo

    Barcelona is ready to give Juventus three players in a swap deal for their forward, Cristiano Ronaldo.
    According to Diario AS, Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, is eager to sign Ronaldo and he is prepared to use Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Sergi Roberto as a makeweight in a deal for the Portugal captain.

    Laporta is formulating an audacious plan to unite Ronaldo with captain Lionel Messi at Camp Nou.

    Ronaldo has a year remaining on his contract with Juventus.

    The 36-year-old has been strongly linked with a transfer move away from Juventus this summer.

    Ronaldo has drawn the interest of Manchester United, PSG, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

    Meanwhile, the prospect of uniting Ronaldo with Messi also relies on the Argentina captain agreeing to a new contract with Barcelona.

    Messi’s current contract with Barcelona will expire on 30 June.

  • BREAKING: Juventus fires Andrea Pirlo

    BREAKING: Juventus fires Andrea Pirlo

    Juventus have sacked Andrea Pirlo after a few months in charge as manager, winning the Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia.

    Pirlo had taken over from Maurizio Sarri in August on a deal that was to last till June 2022. Before then, he was the club’s Under-23 manager.

    Reports say he will be replaced by the club’s former manager, Massimiliano Allegri.

    Confirming Pirlo’s exit, Juventus issued a statement on their official website to bid him farewell.

    “Thank you, Andrea. These are the first words that all of us need to say at the end of this special experience together,” the statement read.

    “A few months ago, Andrea Pirlo, an icon of world football, began his new adventure, his first as a coach.

    “To do this, first of all, it takes courage, as well as awareness of one’s own means, especially in a period marked by thousands of difficulties, with the world forced by the pandemic to reinvent its own rules day after day.

    “Pirlo has just begun the first steps of what will no doubt become a brilliant career as a coach. An adventure of transformation, seeking, and often managing, to bring his ideas and his experience as a champion on the pitch from the “other side” of the fence.

    “And since in football, what counts are the victories, let’s remember them: in the space of a few short months, Pirlo’s Juve has raised two trophies: The Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia. And he, as coach, brought home brilliant victories on the most prestigious of fields, from San Siro to Camp Nou.

    “For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the Maestro, the Coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart. As well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one.”

  • Champions League: Juventus told to sell Cristiano Ronaldo immediately

    Champions League: Juventus told to sell Cristiano Ronaldo immediately

    A former Juventus president, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, has told the club to sell Cristiano Ronaldo this summer straight away.

    Gigli made the plea while questioning Ronaldo’s signing after the Portugal captain failed to score against Porto on Tuesday night as the Serie A giants were knocked out from the Champions League.

    He explained that Juventus should never have bought the 36-year-old from Real Madrid, adding that the forward is too expensive.

    Asked if bringing in Ronaldo to Turin was the wrong choice for Juventus, Gigli told Radio Punto Nuovo: “Absolutely, yes! I said that on his very first day at Juventus. He is a great champion but is too expensive.

    “Now it’s up to Juventus. They have been paying him 1m euros per goal. [Juve president Andrea] Agnelli must be self-critical, but he doesn’t have great collaborators.

    Ronaldo added: “The club should free Ronaldo at the end of the season, and the same goes for Paratici. Maybe Agnelli had promoted him to remove him from his position afterwards. This could be the scenario.”

  • Messi, Ronaldo end 16-year streak after Juventus, Barcelona crash out

    Messi, Ronaldo end 16-year streak after Juventus, Barcelona crash out

    Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will play in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2004/2005 season.

    Messi and Barcelona were sent packing at the last-16 stage by Paris Saint-Germain, who drew 1-1 with the Spanish side on Wednesday, to seal a 5-2 aggregate triumph.

    A day before, Porto stunned Juventus and Ronaldo, to advance on away goals in Turin.

    The last time both Messi and Ronaldo missed the last eight of the competition, Barca were eliminated by Chelsea in the last 16.

    Ronaldo, who was with Manchester United at the time, lost to AC Milan in the round of 16.

    Overall, Ronaldo has won the Champions League five times, while Messi has won the competition on four occasions – most recently in 2014-15.

  • Ronaldo Silenced As Porto Knock Juventus Out Of Champions League

    Ronaldo Silenced As Porto Knock Juventus Out Of Champions League

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16 for the second year running on Tuesday, losing to 10-man Porto on away goals despite winning the second leg 3-2 in Turin.

    Sergio Oliveira’s extra-time free-kick sent twice former winners Porto through to the quarter-finals as the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate.

    Leading 2-1 from the first leg in Portugal, Oliveira’s first-half penalty increased Porto’s advantage but Juventus levelled the tie through two goals from Federico Chiesa, which came either side of Porto striker Mehdi Taremi’s red card.

    Oliveira then rifled home a low free-kick on 115 minutes, which passed through the legs of Ronaldo, with Adrien Rabiot’s header in reply coming in vain for Juventus.

    “When you make four big errors over two legs in the Champions League last 16, you can get eliminated,” said Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo.

    “It will take a few days to wipe this game from our minds, but then we must play every game with the right attitude, realise we’re still only in March and have time to climb the Serie A table.”

    Juventus had been counting on Portuguese striker Ronaldo, the competition’s record goalscorer, and in-form Spaniard Alvaro Morata, who had scored six goals in the competition this season, to pull them through.

    But Juventus’ Champions League heartache stretching back 25 years continued, falling in the first knockout round the second consecutive year after losing to French club Lyon last season.

    “The work of the whole team was important to go through in a manner that was fully deserved,” said veteran Porto defender Pepe.

    “It’s hard to explain by words the way we managed to react (playing with 10 men). Today we showed lots of character: the players were focused and that made it easy for us.”

    Pirlo, in his first season as Juventus coach, had regained several injured players including midfielder Arthur and defender Leonardo Bonucci, but captain Giorgio Chiellini remained on the bench with Danilo suspended.

    Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin produced a sharp early save to turn away a Morata header, while Taremi nodded against the crossbar at the other end in a lively start to the game.

    The Italian champions fell behind on the night when Merih Demiral conceded a penalty after bundling over Taremi in the box, with Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers pointing to the spot.

    Oliveira made no mistake, sending Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage overall.

    Marchesin continued his heroics, the Argentine blocking from Morata on 26 minutes and Rabiot minutes later after the French midfielder took aim from distance.

    Chiesa revives Juve hopes

    Juve hit back after the break thanks to Chiesa’s double, the first on 49 minutes when Ronaldo controlled and knocked it back for Chiesa to curl in past Marchesin from a tight angle.

    Porto soon went a man down with Taremi sent off for two quick yellow cards, the second for recklessly kicking the ball away.

    Despite the Iranian’s absence Porto managed to hold on, with Pepe intervening brilliantly to force Chiesa into striking the post after rounding Marchesin.

    Chiesa made no mistake just after the hour getting his head to another perfect Juan Cuadrado cross which Marchesin again got a hand to but could not stop as Juve pulled level 3-3 on aggregate.

    Ronaldo missed a chance to add to his tally of 134 Champions League goals after heading a Cuadrado delivery wide with 12 minutes to go.

    It was end to end action with Marchesin denying Chiesa a hat-trick, while Morata had a goal ruled out for offside in injury time before Cuadrado was desperately unlucky to see his curling shot smack back off the bar.

    Porto had the best chance of the first 15 minutes in extra time with Szczesny blocking a Moussa Marega header.

    But Oliviera won a free-kick and fired in low to beat Szczesny on 115 minutes amid wild celebrations from the Portuguese bench.

    Two minutes later Rabiot headed Juventus back into contention but the hosts could not snatch another goal as their European adventure ended prematurely once more.

    AFP

  • Juventus lashes Napoli 2-0 to win Italian Super Cup

    Juventus lashes Napoli 2-0 to win Italian Super Cup

    Andrea Pirlo won his first trophy as a coach on Wednesday as Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup.

    Cristiano Ronaldo blasted in the first goal from a corner on 64 minutes in Reggio Emilia, before Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne missed a penalty and Alvaro Morata added a second deep into injury time.

    Juventus won the annual trophy, played between the league champions and Italian Cup holders, for the ninth time, having finished runners-up last year to Lazio.

    Pirlo won his first silverware five months after taking over at his former club.

    It was the first meeting between Pirlo and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso, who won the 2006 World Cup together and spent a decade as AC Milan teammates, winning two Serie A titles and two Champions League crowns together.

    AFP

  • Griezmann gives damning assessment of Barcelona after Juventus hammering

    Griezmann gives damning assessment of Barcelona after Juventus hammering

    Barcelona “didn’t turn up” against Juventus, according to Antoine Griezmann, who has admitted that the team lacked desire and attitude in the Group G showdown.

    Juve claimed an impressive 3-0 victory at Camp Nou in the Champions League on Tuesday night as Barca surrendered their 100 per cent record in meek fashion.

    With both sides already safely through to the knockout stages, the Blaugrana only needed a point to secure top spot in the group, but fell behind after just 13 minutes when Ronaldo stepped up to score a penalty after being fouled by Ronald Araujo in the box.

    Juve doubled their advantage seven minutes later, with Weston McKennie rising to meet Juan Cuadrado’s pinpoint cross with a flying volley which beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen all ends up in the Barca net.

    All the pre-match talk centred around the renewal of hostilities between multiple Ballon d’Or winners Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who hadn’t played against each other since the former’s move to the Allianz Stadium from Real Madrid in 2018.

    Ronaldo put his long-time rival in the shade by converting another penalty early in the second half, with Messi ultimately enduring a night to forget after failing to score with his seven shots on goal.

    Griezmann, who led the line for Barca and came closest to scoring for Koeman’s team when he headed a Messi free-kick onto the crossbar shortly after Ronaldo’s second goal, was in no mood to offer any excuses for the defeat after the final whistle.

    The Frenchman conceded that the hosts only started playing once the game had slipped away from them, before expressing a desire to move on quickly ahead of a La Liga clash against Levante on Sunday.

    “We didn’t turn up,” Griezmann told reporters post-match. “In the first half, they got the better of us. It was a lack of everything: of desire, of attitude, willingness to run, all of it was bad.

    “In the second half, there was already a three-goal advantage and it was easier for us but we had a bad day and a bad game.

    “Who else can be blamed if we are the ones who play? We have to work on this and want to improve, want to play, and only in this way are we going to move forward.

    “We are going to try to put the excuses to the side. The only way is to put everything aside, through work and nothing else. We have given a very bad account of ourselves, for the fans.”

    Juve qualified for the round of 16 as Group G winners after outscoring Barca 3-2 during their two meetings, and can thusly look forward to a favourable draw as they continue to chase down a first European Cup triumph since 1996.

    The Blaugrana will have to face off against one of the other pool winners in the next stage, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool all waiting in the wings.

  • Barcelona leave Messi to fight Ronaldo’s Juventus all alone

    Barcelona leave Messi to fight Ronaldo’s Juventus all alone

    Barcelona’s interim president, Carles Tusquets, does not have the power to sack the coach – and that’s the only reason Ronald Koeman is still in a job right now.

    Make no mistake about it: In a normal season, the Dutchman would be gone. But this isn’t a normal season and Barca are in an extraordinary situation, an unprecedented mess.

    Koeman, of course, is not wholly responsible for the Catalans’ many problems – far from it.

    However, while he knew he was being dealt a bad hand when he agreed to take over as coach after a summer of total chaos at Camp Nou, he’s played it horribly.

    READ ALSO: Ronaldo hails Juventus after dominating Messi’s Barcelona

    Granted, Barca were already through to the last 16 of the Champions League before Tuesday’s night’s shambolic 3-0 loss at home to an average Juventus team, but now they’ve given away their top seeding to the Bianconeri, meaning the Blaugrana will face a group winner in the knockout stage.

    No matter who they draw, Barca have little chance of going through – not Koeman’s Barca anyway. He’s not influencing games in any positive way, shape or form. Not once this season have they come from behind to win, and they never looked like doing so here.

    Of course, Koeman could well be fired by February – if the cash-strapped Catalans can afford the pay-off. That’s certainly not a given.

    But one wonders how long it will be after the elections on January 24 before the new president decides that a change of coach is essential – because this can’t be allowed to continue.

    Whatever hope Barca had of convincing Messi to stay is all but over. It would require remarkable powers of persuasion to convince the six-time Ballon d’Or winner that he can claim another trophy playing for this team, under this coach. Don’t be surprised if he pushes to move again in January.

    He’s been accused of already throwing in the towel, of course, but that’s unfair. He was once again Barca’s best player against Juve. He had more shots (11), more shots on target (seven), more touches (125) and more duels (19) than any other player on the pitch.

    It’s almost as if he’s trying too hard because while he ended with no goals, his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo scored two, both from the penalty spot, after taking just three shots in total.

    And that’s the difference between these two living legends at the minute. Messi is playing for a team in decline under Koeman, while Juve are improving under Andrea Pirlo.

    Barca had the better of all the most important match stats except the one that really counts, on the scoreboard. That’s because this team specialises in the kind of self-destruction that their board has become famous for.

    The first penalty may have been harsh but it was a clumsy challenge from a young defender (Ronald Araujo) only starting because Barca are so painfully short of cover at the back, which is why Clement Lenglet is now showing the effects of playing all the time.

    A centre-half once renowned for his reliability has morphed into an accident waiting to happen, so it came as no surprise when the clearly mentally fatigued Frenchman literally handed Ronaldo another penalty in the second half.

    In truth, Juve didn’t do much after an impressive opening quarter in which they unsurprisingly overwhelmed Koeman’s two-man midfield, but then, they didn’t have to over-extend themselves, and that’s become a recurring theme of Barca’s campaign under Koeman. Defend well against this Barca and you’re always likely to be gifted a goal.

    Remember, they went into this game on the back of a farcical 2-1 loss at Cadiz that has left them ninth in La Liga, an embarrassing 12 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

    The one supposed saving grace for Koeman after Barca’s worst start to a Spanish season in 32 years was their perfect record in the Champions League.

    However, Barca’s group was desperately weak, with Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros the quintessential whipping boys, and Juve in transition under rookie coach Pirlo.

    Thanks to their earlier, Messi-inspired win in Turin, the Blaugrana could have been beaten 2-0 on Tuesday and still topped the group. In the end, though, they were lucky to only lose by three goals.

    Just like Koeman is lucky he can’t be sacked for somehow making a bad situation at Barcelona even worse.