A former Juventus teammate suggested on a podcast that Cristiano Ronaldo harbored desires for revenge against Real Madrid.
After clinching his fourth Champions League title with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways with the club, subsequently becoming its all-time leading scorer.
In 2018, Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, managed to sell Ronaldo to Juventus for an estimated €117 million, marking a significant gain over the €97 million paid to Manchester United in 2009.
Though Ronaldo’s stint in Turin did not yield the coveted Champions League trophy, it was hardly a failure. He helped secure two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana, and a Coppa Italia, capturing every possible domestic trophy during his time in Italy.
Despite Juventus’ goal of clinching their first UEFA Champions League title since 1996—following a string of five losses in finals—Ronaldo was unable to fulfill this aim.
His impact, however, left a lasting impression on former teammates, including Giorgio Chiellini, who recently shared his insights on the BSMT Podcast.
“His personality in difficult times impressed me. The first year he wanted to shake up the world and show that he was stronger than all of Real Madrid,” Chiellini explained, according to Forbes.
“We were unlucky with injuries and lost to Ajax. If we had reached the final, he would have led us to victory,” added Chiellini.
Spanish media have depicted this as fueled by a desire for revenge against the club for the way they let him go, seeing him as expendable.
Since leaving, Ronaldo has had to observe from afar as his former team won another Champions League title in 2022, once again defeating Liverpool, just as they had in his final season with them in 2018.
Seeking a new challenge in 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, but his stint there failed to add any trophies to his collection. His time at Old Trafford ended following a fallout with manager Erik ten Hag, leading to the termination of his contract by mutual agreement as the year came to an end.
Ronaldo now competes in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, a move that likely marks the end of his opportunities to win another Champions League title, closing a significant chapter in the career of one of football’s greatest ever players.
