Former Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta has acknowledged that working with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can be “challenging.”
Ronaldo made a remarkable move to Turin from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, becoming one of the final marquee signings during Marotta’s tenure with the Bianconeri.
Across 134 appearances, Ronaldo scored 101 goals for Juventus, contributing to two Serie A titles and a Coppa Italia triumph.
Despite his on-field success, Ronaldo’s off-field dynamics posed challenges. Marotta, reflecting on bringing the iconic player to Juventus, shared insights into Ronaldo’s behind-the-scenes demeanour: “He was a very good player; he still is, and above all, he is a great champion.”
Marotta’s acknowledgment sheds light on the complex dynamics involved in working with a football icon of Ronaldo’s stature.
“The champion is that person who manages to convey his beliefs to his teammates. He was a bit of a leader of the team; he was the most famous and he dragged the others into the game. So, it was challenging, but he didn’t make me angry.”
Ronaldo did go on to ruffle feathers back at Manchester United, leading to his release in November 2022, with Paul Pogba doing likewise during his time at Old Trafford.
Marotta says the French midfielder was his most difficult piece of recruitment business when first taking him to Turin in 2012.
He added, “There is a player today who’s at Juventus called Pogba. It was a very complicated deal. Because he came from Manchester United, he hadn’t signed a contract, so there were many teams that wanted him. It was difficult to negotiate his purchase; it was very complex.”
Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022, but he has suffered a number of injury issues back in Italian football and is currently serving a ban after failing a drugs test. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is still going strong at the age of 38 with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.