Cristiano Ronaldo offered advice by Portugal coach Fernando Santos
Portugal boss Fernando Santos has claimed that he has offered Cristiano Ronaldo some advice while the player's future hangs in the balance ahead of the summer window. However, Santos stated that the advice will remain between the two and not be revealed to the media.
Juventus are rumored to be reconsidering Cristiano Ronaldo's future at the club. The Serie A side had signed him from Real Madrid, hoping that the Portuguese superstar would help them win the Champions League, which he has failed to do in 3 years at the club.
The club's finances are still unbalanced as they are dealing with the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cristiano Ronaldo's salary is a huge part of the club's wage bill and recent reports have suggested he will be sold to raise some funds in the summer.
In that context, Fernando Santos revealed he had talked to the Portuguese star.
"I give advice to Cristiano personally. I was his head coach when he was 18, and we have a close relationship. We talk a lot, but these are private conversations between friends. We don't really have a coach-player relationship, but it is different when he is in the national team," said Santos.
"If he asks me for any advice, I will let him know what I think. When Cristiano is with the national team, he always comes with the same vision, the same passion, the same will, the same joy. He always gives 100 percent when he comes to the national team. I don't think he has any problem in terms of mentality at the moment," Santos noted.
Real Madrid linked with a move for Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid have been linked with a stunning move for Cristiano Ronaldo and the club's representatives have not downplayed the rumors. Zinedine Zidane has added fuel to the fire and hinted at the club's interest in signing Ronaldo in the summer.
"Are the rumours true? Yes, it could be. We know Cristiano, we know what he has done for Real Madrid. We'll see what his future will be. I played with Cristiano and he's been the best player in the world alongside Messi for the past 10 to 15 years now. You'd take him in your team, for sure," said Zidane.
However, the rumors of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus have been denied by Pavel Nedved. The vice-chairman of Juventus' board of directors has confirmed that the Portuguese star is still a part of their plans and will not be sold in the summer.