Juventus News: Cristiano Ronaldo jeered in Korea as he breaks contractual promise, met with 'Messi' chants
What's the story?
Juventus talisman Cristiano Ronaldo was constantly booed during the Bianconeri's friendly with the K-League all-stars in Seoul, South Korea on Friday. The jeers stem from the Portuguese forward's decision to sit the game out despite having agreed to play for at least 30 minutes.
In case you didn't know...
Juventus played out a 3-3 draw against the K League all-stars in an exhibition match.
Seoul FC's Osmar Barba put the hosts in front in the first half before Simone Muratore pulled one back for the Old Lady. However, Daegu FC's Secinha re-established the K League side's lead just before the break.
Adam Taggart of Suwon Bluewings doubled the hosts' lead a few minutes into the second half before Juventus duo Blaise Matuidi and Matheus Pereira both found the back of the net.
Ronaldo, who scored two of Juventus' three pre-season goals, remained on the bench for the entire game, much to the disappointment and anger of the 60,000 spectators in the stadium.
The game itself was delayed for 58 minutes as the Italian team arrived in South Korea on a delayed flight from Nanjing, China leaving them with little time to recuperate before playing the match five hours later.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo's absence from the squad, which is opposed to his contractual obligation, was met with angry jeers from the massive crowd of supporters who bought tickets to see the Portuguese ace.
According to Fox Sports Asia, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who was supposed to play for at least thirty minutes as per his contractual terms, was booed every time he appeared on the big screen during the game.
The crowd was heard calling out Ronaldo's name as early as the 24th minute and frustration even saw them chanting Messi's name towards the end of the first half. Furthermore, some supporters were spotted leaving the game early in disappointment.
After the game, Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri confirmed that Ronaldo was left out of the game because of muscle fatigue and exhaustion. It's understandable, since the 34-year-old recently concluded a long and tiring season, as he led his national team to the UEFA Nations League title this summer.
What's next?
Ronaldo will likely feature in the Bianconeri's next friendly against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on August 10.