TheNewsGuru

Tag: JUVENTUS

  • Ex-Juve president: Signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a mistake

    Ex-Juve president: Signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a mistake

    Former Juventus president, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, has said the club made a mistake by signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Gigli also claimed Ronaldo is hindering the club’s efforts to win back the Serie A title and wants him sold before the summer transfer window closes.

    Ronaldo joined Juve from Real Madrid in a €100million transfer before the 2018/2019 campaign.

    The 36-year-old is now into the final year of his contract.

    But Gigli, who was Juve’s president between 2006 and 2009, told SerieANews: “I’ve always been honest: signing Ronaldo was a mistake. It’s impossible to recoup the investment and it will remain that way.

    “He’s a great player, but I have to be honest – the sooner he leaves, the better for him and for Juventus.

    “I hope that [Juve head coach] Massimiliano Allegri knows how to continue using him like he did against Udinese. That is, with intelligence and when the game is in progress.

    “Ronaldo hampers Juventus’ attack. Without him, they can do excellent things in collective terms.”

  • Transfer: Cristiano Ronaldo offered to Man City

    Transfer: Cristiano Ronaldo offered to Man City

    Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered to Manchester City by his agent Jorge Mendes, Corriere dello Sport reports.

    The Portuguese, who boasts strong ties to Manchester United, is said to be looking for a way out of Juventus and has seen Paris Saint-Germain back away from a deal following their stunning signing of Lionel Messi.

    Mendes is currently in London ‘talking about’ the potential move with City and hopes to provide Ronaldo with an ‘alternative’ to staying at Juventus or moving to PSG.

    Ronaldo’s agent is ‘proposing Ronaldo to Manchester City on terms of balance’ but ‘there is a lot of work to be done’.

    It is understood that Mansour is ‘thinking about it’ with the Daily Mail claiming Man City could buy Ronaldo for just £25m this summer.

    There have also been rumours in Spain that Real Madrid are now thinking about a move to take Ronaldo back to the Bernabeu.

  • Serie A: Why I returned to Juventus – Allegri

    Serie A: Why I returned to Juventus – Allegri

    New Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is delighted to be back.

    Allegri has signed a four-year deal with the Bianconeri, returning two years after his sacking.

    He said at Tuesday’s presentation: “I begin a new chapter at Juventus, this team is made of many young players who need to develop.

    “There are also experienced players, such as Ronaldo, Chiellini and Bonucci. These three must be an added value for the club and the team, bringing experience and technique on the pitch, but they must also be role models for the young players.

    “What we did will remain in history, two years ago we decided to part ways, now we start from scratch to achieve our goals.

    “I am proud that Juventus called me and I am proud of the fans’ love. From now, we just need to focus on the pitch.

    “Juventus’ DNA is a particular one, every win comes from daily work. I found a team that won one title in the last two seasons and two more trophies last term. They did a good job, and I have a good team.”

  • Netherlands out of Euros because of me – De Ligt

    Netherlands out of Euros because of me – De Ligt

    Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt blames himself for Netherlands elimination from Euro 2020.

    De Ligt was sent off as Holland lost to the Czech Republic on Sunday night.

    “Obviously, it hurts,” De Ligt said live on NOS TV after the final whistle.

    “Fundamentally, we lost the game because of what I did. With hindsight, I shouldn’t have let the ball bounce. I felt like we had the game under control and had a few chances, especially in the first half.

    “I didn’t even have the sensation that the Czechs were creating many scoring opportunities, but obviously the red card made the difference.”

  • What Ronaldo and I discussed at end of Euro clash – Benzema

    What Ronaldo and I discussed at end of Euro clash – Benzema

    Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was happy to see former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo last night.

    Benzema caught up with the Juventus star at the end of France’s 2-2 draw with Portugal in their final Euroa 2020 group game.

    Benzema said, “It’s nice to see him again, after the long way we have come up together …

    “We played eight-nine years as the front two at Real Madrid, we scored goals, won trophies.

    “We exchanged, we wished each other good luck for the future in the club and national team and especially to continue to have fun on the field and continue to make a difference.”

  • I learned my football most at Juve – Pogba

    I learned my football most at Juve – Pogba

    Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says his time with Juventus were the most positive of his career.

    The France international says he learned more while with Juve than at anytime in his career.

    He told L’Equipe: “Where did I learn the football profession the most? At Juve. I went there very young. At 18 years old. And there you come to the men. You come, you train, it’s tactics, discipline. Especially discipline. You have to be disciplined because tactically, they are very sharp. When it hits, it hits, everyone really needs to be together.

    “During the video sessions, they tell you: ‘Look, when you make this movement, it shifts here, when you make that call, it creates such a space’. They teach you the football profession.

    “I learned defensively but also offensively. At Juve, I arrived as a defensive midfielder, central and they made me evolve as a more attacking midfielder.”

  • Juventus fires coach Andrea Pirlo, rehires Massimiliano Allegri

    Juventus fires coach Andrea Pirlo, rehires Massimiliano Allegri

    Juventus have reappointed former boss Massimiliano Allegri just hours after sacking Andrea Pirlo.

    Former Italian international Pirlo, 42, was a surprise choice when he took over from Maurizio Sarri last summer.

    Juventus ended fourth in Serie A under their former player to miss out on the title for the first time since 2012.

    Allegri was in charge of Juventus from 2014-19, winning five successive league titles, four Coppa Italias and reaching the Champions League final twice.

    “Now we are ready to begin again with Allegri, to build our future together with his enormous professionalism, his moral strength, with the brilliant ideas of a coach capable of shuffling the cards, both on and off the pitch,” said a Juventus statement.

    Allegri, 53, had been out of football since leaving Juventus in June 2019.

    His arrival comes after the departure of Pirlo who led Juve to the Italian Super Cup and Coppa Italia titles, but they were not enough to keep his job.

    Pirlo played 164 games for Juventus between 2011 and 2015 and won four Serie A titles in Turin after joining from AC Milan, with whom he spent most of his career and won two Champions League and two league titles.

    He also earned 116 caps for Italy and helped them to win the 2006 World Cup, retiring in 2017 having spent two years in Major League Soccer at New York City FC after leaving Juventus.

    A statement on the Juventus website said: “Thanks Andrea. These are the first words that all of us must pronounce at the end of this special experience lived together.

    “For the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the ‘Maestro’, the coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart, as well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one.”

    Pirlo added: “It’s been an intense, complicated year but still wonderful. When I got the call from Juventus, I never thought about the risk I was taking.

    “If I had to go back, I would make the exact same choice again, although aware of all the obstacles I encountered in such a difficult time for everyone, which prevented me from better planning my intentions and my style of play.

    “This adventure, despite an unexpected ending, made it even clearer what I would like my future to be, which I hope will be just as complete and fulfilling as the one I experienced as a player.”

    It is the latest managerial move among Europe’s big clubs with Antonio Conte leaving Inter Milan to be replaced by former Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi and Zinedine Zidane departing Real Madrid.

  • Juventus, AC Milan qualify for Champions League, Napoli miss out

    Juventus, AC Milan qualify for Champions League, Napoli miss out

    Juventus qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the season on Sunday with a 4-1 win at Bologna and were joined by AC Milan who beat Atalanta 2-0.

    Napoli had to settle for a Europa League spot, finishing fifth one point behind Juventus, after a 1-1 draw at home against Hellas Verona.

    A pair of Franck Kessie penalities at the end of either half ensured AC Milan finished the season second — 12 points behind city rivals Inter Milan — and return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-2014 season.

    Atalanta have also booked a place in the Champions League.

    Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench by Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo who opted for an attacking line-up of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata flanked by Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski.

    A Morata brace along with goals from Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot prevented Juventus missing out on the elite European competition for the first time since 2012.

    In Naples, Amir Rrahmani scored for Napoli after an hour against his former club

    But Marco Davide Faraoni pulled one back immediately for the visitors nine minutes later to deny Gennaro Gattuso’s side a return to elite European action after also missing out last season.

  • We’re proud to go to Juve as champions – Lautaro

    We’re proud to go to Juve as champions – Lautaro

    Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez says the players will be proud going to Juventus as champions.

    Inter go to Turin for the first game after being confirmed title winners.

    “They had been winning for nine years, so it was important to go there and play the game with the Scudetto already won,” Lautaro told Sky Italia.

    “They had been winning for nine years and we hadn’t won since 2011. We lost a Final last year, so we wanted to take something, and we did.

    “We will go there with the 19th Scudetto in our pocket.”

  • Ronaldo, Dybala hit 100 goals for Juventus

    Ronaldo, Dybala hit 100 goals for Juventus

    Cristiano Ronaldo’s 100th goal for Juventus in all competitions helped keep alive his side’s hopes of a top-four Serie A finish after a 3-1 win at an impressive Sassuolo on Wednesday.

    The Portugal captain has now set the record for scoring one hundred goals or more for three clubs and country.

    Ronaldo scored 118 goals for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, 103 for Portugal.

    Paulo Dybala also reached a century of Juve goals, on Wednesday, with a fine dinked finish, to ensure they kept pace with their top-four rivals Atalanta, AC Milan and Napoli, who all won in the latest round of matches, with two games to play.

    The result was not easy to come by for Juve, with returning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saving an early penalty.

    But goals from Adrien Rabiot, Ronaldo and Dybala meant they stayed fifth, two points off the Champions League qualification places.

    Buffon, who announced this week that he is leaving the club at the end of the season, replaced Wojciech Szczesny in goal and immediately showed he has lost none of his ability as he brilliantly kept out Domenico Berardi’s spot-kick.

    The chances kept coming for the home side, and their profligacy proved costly as Rabiot drilled home the opener in the 28th minute, before Ronaldo reached another milestone just before the break with a cool finish from the edge of the area.

    Sassuolo continued to do everything but score, until Giacomo Raspadori finally beat Buffon just before the hour mark.

    Elsewhere on a busy night in Serie A, AC Milan thrashed Torino 7-0 to stay third and Atalanta cruised to a 2-0 win over Benevento, who remain deep in the relegation mire, to remain second.

    Spezia earned a vital point in a 2-2 draw at Sampdoria to move four points clear of Benevento in 18th, while Cagliari’s fine end-of-season form continued as they held Fiorentina to a 0-0 stalemate to move five points clear of the drop zone.