Juventus’ chairman has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo, telling the Manchester United star the club “comes before anyone”.
Ronaldo left the Turin club during the summer to secure his return to Old Trafford, having spent three years in Italy.
The Portuguese superstar though perhaps didn’t leave the Serie A giants on the best of terms, with some of his former team-mates have aimed digs at him since his departure.
Leonardo Bonucci and Giogio Chiellini have both had their say, with the latter bemoaning Ronaldo’s decision to leave Juventus at the last minute during the transfer window.
And the club’s chairman Andrea Agnelli has become the latest to weigh in while speaking about Ronaldo’s return to United at a shareholders’ meeting.
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Despite being full of praise for the former Real Madrid star, Agnelli seemed to suggest Juve were better off without Ronaldo following his departure.
“It was an honour and a pleasure to have him,” Agnelli said, via Calciomercato.
“We can only applaud him for what he did on the field and thank him for how much he made us rejoice. The one sin is to have had him with a year and a half of an empty stadium.
“Alvaro Morata is right, though, it is the Juventus shirt that requires responsibility. Juventus is bigger than everyone, than anyone who has participated. Juventus comes before anyone.”
Agnelli’s comments come after Bonucci and Chiellini both aimed digs at their former team-mate, suggesting the focus was too centred around Ronaldo during his time in Turin.
“We had lost this characteristic [playing as a team] from Juve, we were playing with a great champion like Ronaldo and we wanted to put him in a position to always do well, thinking he could solve all the matches,” Bonucci said.
“This year we are rediscovering that right humility that it serves to regain victory.”
Chiellini added: “Had he gone away on August 1, we would have had time to prepare better.”
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