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Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in world football. Arguably one of the best players to ever set foot on a football pitch, Ronaldo boasts a resume that is truly extraordinary.
Ronaldo signed with Italian giants Juventus in 2018 for a reported £85 million and has broken several records with the Old Lady. Famed for his goalscoring prowess, Ronaldo hit the ground running in Italy, and in his three seasons with the Turin outfit, he has definitely been impressive.
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However, despite his multiple records and achievements, there is a perception that Ronaldo's move to Juventus has been a failure. Ronaldo could well be his own worst enemy; it appears that he has set the bar too high with his staggering exploits at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
On that note, let's take a look at five reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus has been a failure.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo tends to slow down Juventus' natural tempo
Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring ability can only be described as phenomenal. One of the most talented attackers in history, Ronaldo is the only player in Juventus' history to score in ten consecutive games.
While there is no doubt about his ability to score goals, it is a common perception that Ronaldo slows down the tempo of Juventus' natural gameplay. Juventus were known for their fluid football and their intricate link-up play, but now it appears that Ronaldo has become their main outlet for goals.
As a result, the ball often goes to Ronaldo even if another player is in a better scoring position. Cristiano Ronaldo remains a sublime goalscorer; but it has to be said that his shot conversion ratio is below average.
Ronaldo averages 5.1 shots per game in Serie A while scoring only 0.93, meaning a conversion ratio of a meagre 18%. While his shot output is big enough to get him excellent numbers, it does inhibit his team's link-up play.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo failed to help Juventus retain their Serie A title in 2020-21
Juventus had won the Serie A for nine consecutive seasons, doing so between 2010-11 and 2019-20. Even though Cristiano Ronaldo was a part of the Bianconeri's last two triumphs in this period, he failed to help the team retain the Serie A title last campaign.
Andrea Pirlo was appointed the Juventus manager in July 2020. Fresh off their ninth straight league win, it seemed very likely the Old Lady would retain their Serie A stranglehold. Despite his managerial inexperience, it can be argued that Pirlo still had the squad to win the Scudetto.
Pirlo made an excellent start to his tenure, becoming only the third manager in Juventus history to win their first away game. His overdependence on Cristiano Ronaldo proved to be a pitfall, though, as he opted to trust his goalscoring ability over prioritising team-based football.
Despite not winning the Capocannoniere in his first two seasons in Italy, Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the same last season. He led the 2020-21 Serie A scoring charts, but Juventus fell well short of defending their league title.
Ronaldo was predominantly signed to help Juventus challenge in Europe, as it was almost a given that they would not falter on the domestic front. However, last season, not only did they fail to challenge in Europe, but they also failed to win the Serie A for the first time in ten years.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo's exorbitant wages have prevented Juventus from addressing other areas of concern
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world's best paid players, and he is a regular on Forbes' list of highest-earning athletes.
He reportedly earns around £500,000 per week and £28 million per year. Ronaldo, comfortably the highest-paid player in Serie A, has a wage that comprises a lion's share of Juventus' total wage bill.
Despite reportedly taking a pay cut last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking the club's finances, Ronaldo still earns almost £19 million more than Juventus' second-highest earner, Matthijs de Ligt.
To further quantify the impact of this number, it has been reported that Ronaldo is single-handedly responsible for about 11% of Juventus' wage bill, earning at least three times more than any other player.
While it can be argued that Cristiano Ronaldo is worth every penny he receives, the fact remains that Juventus have several other areas of concern. Their midfield lacks a world-class player, and their wing-backs have been lacklustre in the past as well.
It was reported that Juventus even tried to offload Ronaldo last year to lighten their wage bill, although they ultimately decided against it.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to win the Ballon d'Or award with Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the world's best players, with his astounding tally of five Ballon d'Or awards testimony to that.
Ronaldo was adjudged the world's best player in 2008 during his time with Manchester United. He then went on to replicate the feat a further four times during his stint with Real Madrid. His exploits in Spain are well documented: Ronaldo won four Ballon d'Or awards during his time with Los Blancos.
Having won his last award in 2017, it was expected Ronaldo would challenge the world's best for the coveted award after arriving at Juventus. However, he has failed to do so thus far.
After his last Ballon d'Or win three years ago, Ronaldo finished second and third in the Ballon d'Or race in the next two years. The award was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Ronaldo was unlikely to win it, as Robert Lewandowski was a firm favourite.
This year as well, it looks increasingly unlikely that Cristiano Ronaldo will win the prestigious award ahead of Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi, who inspired Argentina to the Copa America 2021 title.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to win the UEFA Champions League with Juventus
It is no secret that Ronaldo is one of the best-ever players to play in the UEFA Champions League.
Boasting a staggering five Champions League trophies in his resume, Ronaldo has the joint-highest wins of the continental trophy in the modern era, alongside Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta. Ronaldo also holds the record for most goals scored in UEFA Champions League history.
Moreover, Ronaldo also holds several other records in the competition and has often been called 'Mr. Champions League'. Thus it comes as a huge surprise that Ronaldo has not won the Champions League for three years now.
Since joining Juventus in 2018, Ronaldo has failed to go past the quarter-final stage in the competition. As if that wasn't enough, Juventus were knocked out by supposedly lesser opposition in all three years.
The Bianconeri have been eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax, Lyon and Porto in the last three years. Despite a brilliant individual record, Ronaldo has been unable to replicate his success in the competition with the Biaconeri.
That Ronaldo was signed by Juventus to help them win the UEFA Champions League is a well-known fact. But after three failures, it remains to be seen if the 36-year-old can inspire Juventus to the title next season.
