Sarri to Juventus: 'Ronaldo’s not a difficult man to work with, he just wants to win', says journalist on his partnership with new boss
What's the story?
BBC journalist Mina Rzouki has examined the impending collaboration between Cristiano Ronaldo and new Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri, stating that the Portuguese talisman is not a difficult man to work with as he is player who simply wants to win.
In case you didn't know...
Sarri emerged as the man to replace Massimiliano Allegri at the Old Lady after weeks of speculation regarding his future at Premier League outfit Chelsea.
The Italian secured Champions League football for the Blues by guiding them to a third-place finish in the Premier League and the Europa League title at the end of the season.
The former Napoli boss will now make a return to the Serie A and will be tasked with filling rather big shoes as he will have to maintain the domestic dominance held by Allegri while also expanding their successes to the continent.
Ronaldo, who moved to the Turin-based outfit just last summer, will undoubtedly play a key role in Sarri's new plans at the club. It remains to be seen how the former Chelsea boss will bond with a new set of players and fans keeping in mind the fact that he was never a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge.
The heart of the matter
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast, Rzouki eexpressed faith that Sarri will get along just fine with a player like Ronaldo as long as the forward sees 'genuine improvement' within the squad. She said (via Daily Star), "I think that Ronaldo’s not a difficult man to work with, he just wants to win."
"So if he sees genuine improvement within the side, if he sees that the team is actually playing for him and delivering the playable balls forward - which a lot of the time they didn’t last season - then he will be thrilled with that."
"It’s whether or not they can actually get over the hill and actually challenge on all fronts by rotating the squad, which Sarri is not famous for."
What's next?
While Ronaldo recently led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title, Sarri is getting ready to take over Juventus on a contract that extends to June 30, 2022.