"Cristiano Ronaldo has never been a leader and never will be": Massimo Mauro urges Juventus to move on
Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has urged the club to move on from "individualist" Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus for €117m in the summer of 2018, bringing an end to a glittering and trophy-laden nine-year stint with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
At the time, Juventus were in on the back of an eight-year Serie A title-winning streak, and were hoping Ronaldo could inspire them to the UEFA Champions League title.
However, the club crashed out of the competition against Ajax and Porto in the last two years, and are now about to see their dream of 10 consecutive Scudetto wins ended by Inter Milan.
Serious doubts have now been cast on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future with Juventus, with rumors claiming the Old Lady are willing to part ways with the 36-year-old.
With his contract expiring in the next 12 months, Juventus are weighing their options on whether to extend his stay at the Allianz Stadium.
However, former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has now claimed the club should cash in on the “individualistic” Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, as he “has never been a leader where he has played and he never will be.”
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Goal, Mauro said: "Ronaldo has never been a leader where he has played and he never will be. He is like a company and his turnover is more important to him than the success of the team.
"Cristiano doesn't drag his team-mates along with him, he always wants them to give him the ball to score goals. He is a great individualist, he is not a team player.
"From the point of view of results, Juventus with him did not do better than in the past, they even did worse in the Champions League. That is why the best thing for both of them is that their paths separate."
Should Juventus extend Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract?
Having a player of Cristiano Ronaldo’s caliber is undoubtedly a huge advantage to any club. Over the course of his career, the 36-year-old has proven he is a serial winner who brings an incredible amount of success to his club.
In his two years with Juventus, he has inspired the club to two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppa trophies.
He is also on course to claim his second Coppa Italia after guiding Juventus to the final, which will be held in May against Atalanta.
While Juventus have floundered in their title defense, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star has been a standout performer in Serie A.
He has scored 25 goals in 27 league outings this season and currently leads the race for the Italian golden boot. In his 126 appearances for the club, he has hit 97 goals and is set to cross the 100-goal mark in just under three years with the Italian giants.
It is safe to say that while the club has enjoyed little success in the Champions League with Cristiano Ronaldo, they have a higher shot at winning it with the Portuguese at the club.
He has lifted the trophy on five different occasions and is the most experienced player in the competition at the Allianz Stadium.