Gianluigi Buffon has claimed that Juventus wrecked their essence, the Turin club’s spirit, when they took on Cristiano Ronaldo. Now that both legends secured football transfers out of Juve, the goalkeeper reveals how Ronaldo worsened the club (football news). Buffon says Juventus lost their DNA after Ronaldo’s arrival, with the Portuguese superstar becoming the centre of attention in Turin.
In the 2017 Champions League final, Juventus suffered a 4-1 defeat to a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid.
Having failed to claim that prestigious title since 1996, the ambitious outfit invested heavily to secure Ronaldo for themselves instead.
Even with Ronaldo joining their Turin team, however, Juventus lost against a young Ajax team in 2018-19’s Champions League season.
They then suffered surprising last-16 setbacks against Lyon and Porto in successive campaigns, that is, in 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively.
It is only now, in the 2021-22 UCL season, that Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus side have reached that stage again.
Indeed, in the present, they may later go up against Ronaldo’s Manchester United. As for now, though, they are initially due to face Spanish side Villarreal in the first knockout round of 2021-22.
Buffon Says Juventus Lost Their DNA after Ronaldo’s Arrival
So, as we learnt, the Bianconeri pulled off a stunning transfer coup in the summer of 2018 for Cristiano Ronaldo. Juventus lured the five-time Ballon d’Or winner away from a record-setting spell at Real Madrid.
But they signed him in the hopes that he would help deliver a long-awaited Champions League crown for them.
However, despite hitting over 100 goals for the Serie A heavyweights, Ronaldo could not carry Juve to any title wins.
And now, in the summer transfer window of 2021, he departed for Manchester United whereas Juve are still heading backwards.
Meanwhile, veteran (legendary) goalkeeper Gigi Buffon was at Paris Saint-Germain when Ronaldo joined Juventus but re-joined the Bianconeri in 2019.
Now, after leaving Juve again, though, Buffon has told TUDN of the impact the modern-day great had on a squad.
He criticised how, under Ronaldo, the club failed to make it past the quarter-finals in Europe during his time there.
Buffon said: “Juventus had the chance to win the Champions League the first year he arrived, which was the year I was at Paris Saint-Germain, and I couldn’t figure out what happened.
“When I returned, I worked with CR7 for two years and we did well together, but I think Juventus lost that DNA of being a team.
“We reached the Champions League final in 2017 because we were a side full of experience, but above all we were a single unit and there was this competition for places within the group that was very strong. We lost that with Ronaldo.”
