Merih Demiral to auction signed Cristiano Ronaldo Juventus jersey to raise funds for Turkey earthquake victims

Turkish defender Merih Demiral is set to auction a signed Juventus jersey of Cristiano Ronaldo in a bid to raise funds for Turkey's earthquake victims.

According to the Guardian, an estimated 5,000 people have died in the natural disaster.

Demiral and Ronaldo were teammates during their time at Juventus. The defender, who currently plies his trade for Serie A side Atalanta, wrote on Twitter:

"I just spoke with @Cristiano. He said that he was very sad about what happened in Turkey. We are auctioning Ronaldo's signed jersey in my collection. All proceeds from the auction will be used in the earthquake zone. @ahbap will be donated."

Az önce @Cristiano ile konuştum.

Türkiye'de yaşananlara çok üzüldüğünü söyledi. Ronaldo'nun koleksiyonumdaki imzalı formasını açık artırma usulüyle satışa çıkarıyoruz.

Açık artırmadan elde edilecek gelirin tamamı deprem bölgesinde kullanılmak üzere
@ahbap 'a bağışlanacaktır. https://t.co/OwnU93oShJ

Cristiano Ronaldo played 134 games for Juventus, scoring 101 goals and providing 22 assists, while Demiral represented the Old Lady 32 times during his career.

What did Cristiano Ronaldo say about his time at Juventus?

Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus after winning three successive UEFA Champions League titles with Los Blancos. The superstar forward, however, seemingly holds a dear place in his heart for the Bianconeri.

In a recent chat with Livescore, Ronaldo reviewed the most memorable moments of his career. Speaking about one such instance, he said (via Football Italia):

“I scored a header against Donnarumma. When you win a title it’s all special because during the year you dedicate yourself to achieving something great. When you get your first trophy in a team it is always special. This one with Juventus is definitely a great memory."

He further added:

“For me Juventus was a different journey in my life. I signed at the age of 33, opening a new chapter after being at Real Madrid for nine years.”

Cristiano Ronaldo with Juventus:

👕 134 matches
⚽️ 101 goals
🎯 22 assists
🏆 2x Série A
🏆 2x Supercoppa Italiana
🏆 1x Coppa Italia.

https://t.co/WNtQvJpDNw

Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus in 2021 to rejoin his boyhood club Manchester United. The fairytale return, however, had a sour ending.

He left the Red Devils after mutually terminating his contract on November 22. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has since joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr as a free agent. The 38-year-old recently scored his first goal for the club against Al Fateh.