Juventus News Roundup: Bianconeri urged to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo, Lilian Thuram comes to Andrea Pirlo's defense and more | 14th April, 2021
There have been calls for Juventus to get rid of Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal superstar continues to divide people's opinions this season.
Juventus are set for a strong finish to the campaign, and Cristiano Ronaldo is sure to be a huge part of that. However, it remains to be seen whether the forward will remain at the club beyond this season.
With all that in mind, here are the latest Juventus news on 14th April, 2021.
Massimo Mauro thinks Juventus should move on from Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has urged the Bianconeri to sell Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, citing his selfish attitude as a detriment to the club.
Mauro told Gazzetta dello Sport, as reported by Goal:
"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."
Mauro also added that Cristiano Ronaldo has not done enough for Juventus in the Champions League this season, following their humiliating exit at the hands of Porto. He said:
"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."
Lilian Thuram believes Andrea Pirlo is not to blame for Juventus' disappointing season
Former Juventus midfielder Lilian Thuram has come to the defense of Andrea Pirlo amid a disappointing season. The Frenchman believes Pirlo needs more time at the helm, adding that one season is not enough to judge him as a manager.
Thuram explained to Football Italia:
“I think the criticism of Pirlo laughable really, because I believe he can become a great coach, just as he was a great player, but he needs time. You cannot become a great player in your debut professional campaign, nor a great chef or a great journalist, that all takes time. So you cannot expect Pirlo to be a great coach in his first season. You can’t ask him to deliver the same results as a coach with 10-15 years of experience under his belt."
"This is why it makes me laugh when they criticise Pirlo. Excuse me, but there is such a thing as ‘gaining experience.’ Pirlo is gaining experience and you cannot expect him to know everything already."
Team news ahead of Atalanta clash
Juventus will be boosted by the return of Leonardo Bonucci, as the defender has recovered from COVID-19.
The club's official website announced in this regard:
"Leonardo Bonucci carried out, as per protocol, two controls with a molecular test (swab) for Covid-19 with negative results. The player has therefore recovered and is no longer subjected to the isolation regime and will join the team tomorrow afternoon at the JTC."
Andrea Pirlo will now travel to Atalanta on Sunday, with only Federico Bernardeschi unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19.