“They asked him for the moon” - Dino Zoff says Cristiano Ronaldo was asked to ‘do it all’ at Juventus
Italian legend Dino Zoff has defended Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave Juventus and re-join Manchester United in the summer. The former goalkeeper admitted that the Bianconeri expected the Portuguese superstar to 'do it all' for them.
Ronaldo had just won his fourth Champions League trophy with Real Madrid when he decided to leave the club. The Portugal international swapped Los Blancos for Serie A giants Juventus in the summer of 2018 in search of a new challenge.
The transfer, though, did not go as well as Ronaldo had hoped. Three years into his contract with Juventus, the 36-year-old decided to put an end to his association with the club and re-join Manchester United in England.
Ronaldo's time with the Bianconeri was not entirely a failure. During his three years at the club, the Portugal forward helped them win five trophies, including two Serie A titles.
However, that was not the success Ronaldo was looking for and hence he decided to leave Juventus to rejoin Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Co. Bianconeri great Zoff has now defended the forward's decision to leave the club.
Zoff admitted that Juventus expected Ronaldo to deliver the moon for them. The former goalkeeper also conceded that the Manchester United star was asked to 'do it all' during his time with the Old Lady. He said:
"It is not about wisdom, but about decisions. In this case, mainly the player's. That's the way it is with champions. Then, let's face it: he couldn't do it all by himself. They asked him for the moon and they expected it. No mistake granted, but he too, like us, is a person", Zoff told Italian daily Tuttosport.
In his final season at Juventus, Ronaldo finished the league campaign as the top scorer, having found the back of the net 29 times from 33 matches.
DANILO:
"Any team in the world that loses Ronaldo would miss him. The years have gone by and he's still lethal. The numbers don't lie - the slightest chance is a goal. For all the stories and discussion, that's it. Juventus misses him and will continue to." https://t.co/XhojwpvooI
Cristiano Ronaldo's record for Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 101 goals and provided 22 assists from 134 appearances during his three years at Juventus. The forward also helped the side win five trophies, including two Serie A titles.
Cristiano Ronaldo etches his name in the history books once again!
🏆 2007-08: Premier League Golden Boot winner
🏆 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15: La Liga Golden Boot winner
🏆 2020-21: Serie A Golden Boot winner
He’s now won the Golden Boot in three of Europe’s top five leagues. https://t.co/rxCiixUC5k
The Manchester United star was the fourth top scorer in Serie A in his debut season, netting 21 goals. In his second season, Ronaldo finished as the second top scorer behind Ciro Immobile, scoring 31 goals.
Ronaldo put an end to his time with Juventus after making sure he won the golden boot in the Italian top flight as he finished as the top scorer in the league last season.