Gianluigi Buffons lauds ‘exceptional’ ex-Juventus teammate Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon has lauded former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo for his exemplary work ethic. The pair shared the pitch for 26 games during their time together in Turin.
Ronaldo joined the Old Lady in 2018 and played 134 games for the Bianconeri, bagging 101 goals and 32 assists. Throughout his illustrious career, his elite mentality has been one of his biggest assets.
Buffon said as much about the Portuguese in an interview with Bobo TV:
"He trains great. From that point of view, he is an exceptional professional.'
Ronaldo perhaps scored the best goal of his career against Buffon in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg. The Portuguese bagged a brace in the 3-0 win at the Allianz Stadium. Ronaldo's second came from a spectacular bicycle kick, leaving Buffon as a mere spectator.
Speaking about that goal, Buffon said in 2019 (via MARCA):
"After about 25 seconds of normal frustration over the goal I conceded, I thought about what he had done to me, something really great, I asked him, 'Cristiano, how old are you?' and he told me, 'not bad for a 33-year-old, right?' In the end, we both laughed."
Former Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo opens up on what it was like to manage Cristiano Ronaldo
Andrea Pirlo was at the helm of Juventus during Cristiano Ronaldo's time at the Serie A club.
Ronaldo's stint at Manchester United came to an unceremonious end in 2022 with the superstar forward falling out with Erik ten Hag. Pirlo, though, revealed that he never had any problems working with Ronaldo. The Italian legend said (via GOAL):
“For me, it was easy to work with him. He was a good guy, very professional. He wanted to play every game, to score every game. We didn't have a problem, but football changes very quickly. Age also. Maybe he had a problem with another team, but for me it was a good experience.”
Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr. He has scored nine goals and provided two assists in ten games across competitions for the Middle Eastern club.