Andrea Pirlo explains why Cristiano Ronaldo was angry after Juventus beat Genoa
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agitation is growing at Juventus, and the latest source of his frustration was the failure to get on the score-sheet.
Juventus beat Genoa 3-1 on Saturday in Serie A, but Cristiano Ronaldo failed to get on the score-sheet and endured a frustrating game where he hit the wood-work once.
The Bianconeri are a whopping 12 points behind league leaders Inter Milan, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 25 strikes in the league have failed to inspire them to the top of the table.
Although the Portuguese is four goals clear in the race for the Serie A golden boot, he is rarely pleased when he fails to get on the score-sheet.
After the full-time whistle against Genoa, Cristiano Ronaldo threw his shirt on the ground and stormed off to the dressing room in frustration.
Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo plays down Cristiano Ronaldo’s tantrum
Cristiano Ronaldo’s tantrums on the pitch in recent games have seen a rise in reports that he is unhappy at Juventus. Andrea Pirlo, however, feels otherwise.
Pirlo spoke to the media after the game and said it was normal for a player of Ronaldo’s high standards to be frustrated for not getting on the score-sheet.
"Cristiano was angry because he hadn't scored. He saw that he had chances and it's normal for a player of his level to always want to improve and better his records,” Pirlo said.
"The game was over and it's normal to be agitated. It can happen to everyone," he added.
Although he is still scoring a lot of goals, Cristiano Ronaldo has endured a tough season with Juventus as the Bianconeri are underdogs to retain the Serie A title.
Pirlo’s side are no longer in the Champions League, so the clash against Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final in May will be a big game for the Old Lady.
However, they will take on a side who have not won silverware for a while, so it will be a competitive game.
Winning the Coppa Italia will be a good end to a season that has largely been a transitional one for Juventus with a new manager and the promotion of several young players.