There’s no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is a game-changing player. But, it appears that Juventus relied on him far too much before his abrupt exit to Manchester United.
Speaking to The Athletic recently, Juve defender Leonardo Bonucci revealed what exactly went wrong with the squad during Cristiano’s tenure in Turin and how everyone just expected success because the best player in the world was leading the line:
“This was the thing,” he says. “The idea that one player, even the best in the world, could guarantee Juventus victory. Cristiano’s presence had a big influence on us. Just training with him gave us something extra but subconsciously players started to think his presence alone was enough to win games. We began to fall a little short in our daily work, the humility, the sacrifice, the desire to be there for your team-mate day after day. Over the last few years, I think you could see that.”
Juventus are evidently still adjusting to life without Ronaldo. They’re off to a very underwhelming start in Serie A following a fourth-place finish in 2020-21, going 2-2-2 in their first six games which puts them in 10th spot. Their attack has also taken time to really get going, but the likes of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata have started to produce recently before both picking up injuries last weekend.
However, despite barely sneaking into the Champions League, Bonucci made it clear that Juventus felt a spark towards the end of the campaign as they began to find their identity again without only relying on Cristiano Ronaldo:
“Last season, we finished fourth and won the Coppa Italia because we became a team again. If you had thrown a piece of wood in the dressing room before those games it would have caught fire such was the electricity running through it. We missed that. Maybe it was taken for granted that if we gave the ball to Cristiano he’d win us the game. But Cristiano needed the team as much as we needed him.”
Ronaldo meanwhile has hit the ground running with the Red Devils, already scoring four goals for the Premier League giants. During his Juventus stint, the Portuguese international netted 101 times in 134 appearances across three seasons at the Allianz Arena.
But, the Old Lady is moving on and slowly but surely, finding their form.
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