Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after Juventus’ exit from the Champions League at the hands of Porto this week amid intensifying rumours about his future at the Italian club. Ronaldo was signed to help Juventus win Europe’s premier competition, but in his time there they haven’t come close.
“More important than the number of falls you take in life is how fast and how strong you can get back on your feet,” the Portuguese wrote on Instagram as carried by Marca. “True champions never break! Our focus is already on Cagliari, the struggle for Serie A, the Italian Cup final and everything else we can still achieve this season.
“It’s true that the past belongs in museums (I should say!) but fortunately, football has 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.”
Ronaldo’s post comes in the midst of several reports claiming that his time in Italy is up, and that Juventus would part ways with him for just €29m. Andrea Pirlo, his coach, weighed in to cool tensions with a message of support for the Portuguese. “He’s fine,” Pirlo said. “It’s normal for Cristiano to be disappointed, like everyone else. Rumours are normal, he’s the most important player in the world alongside [Lionel] Messi. He’s always done a great job here and has proven his worth.”
Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, has apparently contacted Real Madrid, the club he left for Juventus in the summer of 2018, to open discussions about a potential return to the Santiago Bernabeu after three years at Juventus. The word on the street in the Spanish capital is that Ronaldo’s arrival could ease the pressure on Madrid to sign Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland this summer and instead wait until 2022.
