Journalist responds to Ronaldo’s dig at Juventus

Club News

October 16, 2024 - 8:15 pm

Cristiano Ronaldo stirred controversy among Juventus fans when he took a playful jab at Wojciech Szczesny, suggesting the goalkeeper had to “retire before getting a chance to play for a big club.” The comment, made during a recent meeting with Szczesny, did not sit well with Juventus supporters, who saw it as a slight against their club. Ronaldo, who scored over 100 goals for the Bianconeri from 2018 to 2021 and shared the locker room with Szczesny during that time, seemed to imply that Barcelona—where Szczesny recently came out of retirement to play—was a bigger club than Juventus.

The Portuguese star’s remark sparked a backlash from Juventus fans, many of whom took offence at the suggestion that their club was inferior to Barcelona. Despite the criticism, Ronaldo has shown little concern about the negative reaction. His comment has also drawn responses from pundits, including journalist Riccardo Trevisani, who defended Juventus’s legacy in the wake of the controversy.

Trevisani, addressing Ronaldo’s comments, stated, “At Juventus, they realized that Cristiano Ronaldo cost more than he produced, so they let him go. Juve has a 130-year history; it was there before Ronaldo and it will be there after him. Not even a champion like him can compromise the history of Juventus. In the end, the club let him go very calmly.” Trevisani’s words highlight the notion that while Ronaldo may have been a star player, Juventus’s stature and history as a club far exceed the presence of any individual, no matter how accomplished.

Ronaldo’s time at Juventus was marked by personal success, with impressive goal-scoring numbers, but it was also a period of mixed results for the club. His departure, according to many, was seen as necessary to balance the club’s finances and restructure the team. While the remark about Szczesny may have been intended as a light-hearted joke, it struck a nerve, reminding everyone that Juventus’s reputation as a historic football powerhouse is not something to be questioned, even by a player of Ronaldo’s calibre. The club’s history of success, longevity, and fanbase make it far more than just a stepping stone in any player’s career.