Juventus News Roundup: Juve to battle AC Milan for Celtic star, Pogba tipped to snub Bianconeri and join Real Madrid and more: 23 December 2020
Juventus suffered a shock 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fiorentina last night. The loss came just as Andrea Pirlo's men looked to be steadying their ship and it is incidentally, their first loss in the Serie A under new manager Andrea Pirlo.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Juventus from 23 December 2020.
Cristiano Ronaldo demands 'excellence' after heavy defeat against Fiorentina
Juventus will need to step it up if they're to accomplish their dream of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title. Cristiano Ronaldo was expectedly frustrated with last night's result and said that there was no excuse for the Bianconeri's poor performance.
After the game, Cristiano Ronaldo put up a post on Instagram demanding excellence and promising the fans that the club will come back stronger in the new year. He wrote,
"Yesterday, with a poor performance and a result far from acceptable, we closed our scheduled games for 2020, a special year in many particular ways. Empty stadiums, COVID protocols, postponed games, long stoppages and a very tight calendar,"
"But this is no excuse for anything. We know that we have to give more of ourselves, in order to play better and to win in a more consistent way. We are Juventus! And we simply cannot accept anything less than excellence on the pitch!
"I hope this short stoppage may help us to come back stronger and more united than ever, because the season is still far from over and in the end we believe that we will, once again, celebrate with our tiffosi.
Paul Pogba tipped to join Real Madrid by Maria Cenolli
According to football agent Maria Cenolli (via Calciomercato), Paul Pogba might snub Juventus and join Real Madrid. Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola had revealed earlier this month that the Manchester United midfielder's time at Old Trafford is up and marked Juventus as a potential destination.
However, Cenolli does not believe that Pogba is destined to return to Juventus. He said,
"I think Pogba will go to Real Madrid. I don't think he's going to Juventus. In my opinion Mino Raiola will make a move of his own. I think it's the right time for Real. There could be a big exchange of players with Manchester United. It might suit the British. I think it's an operation for June."
Juventus target Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard
Juventus are looking to bring in some young players into their squad and are already on the lookout for a long-term successor to Cristiano Ronaldo. According to Calciomercato, Juventus and AC Milan have now entered the race to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.
The French u-21 international has not exactly been in sublime form this season though he was impressive last term. He has scored five goals from 11 appearances this season.