The world was in a state of shock when Cristiano Ronaldo ended his 9 year association with Real Madrid. The mercurial forward moved to Juventus for a reported transfer fee of €100 million, thus ending a glittering career at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Although there were plenty of rumors prior to his much talked about transfer to Turin, the actual reason was still unknown. Many reasons, such as his contract situation at Madrid, were cited but nothing was clarified until it was officially declared by the club.
But now that he has moved to Juventus, fans are expecting yet another successful season from him. So without further ado, here are the 5 reasons why he will excel at Juventus.
#5 Adaptability
There are various instances of players joining new clubs after a breakthrough season or two, and then finding themselves unable to adjust to a new environment and playing style.
One such high profile case is of Paul Pogba, who was a mere shadow of his sumptuous self during his first season at Manchester United. Even in his second season at The Theatre of dreams, he was barely consistent and his form was one of the reasons why The Red Devils went trophyless during the 2017-18 season.
On the other hand, Ronaldo has always been one of those players who take little or no time to adapt to situations. Moreover, he has played under managers of various tactical acumen and has excelled under each one of them.
Even under Mourinho, who is well known for his pragmatic tactical approach, he had one of his best ever goal scoring returns, he scored a whopping 60 goals in just 55 appearances during the 2011-12 La Liga campaign to help Real Madrid snatch the La Liga title from the legendary Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola.
In recent years, Ronaldo has evolved a lot and is no longer the flashy winger who used to torment the defenses. Instead, he has utilized his off the ball intelligence to the fullest and his numbers have been terrific.
Although Juventus is a completely different team as compared to Real Madrid, Ronaldo's adaptable playing style will ensure a great season for him as well as The Old Lady.
#4 Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri has been one of the shrewdest managers in recent times. He has been at the forefront of Juventus' recent successes, and although he has plied his trade at Juventus at a time when the Turin based club has been on the rise, it should not be forgotten that he has also led the Bianconneri to 2 Champions League final in 4 years.
He is one of the most versatile managers and has led The Old Lady to 4 consecutive scudettos despite dealing with the transfers of key players such as Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and Paul Pogba. So, it is a no-brainer to deduce that the man who managed to win titles despite the departure of such pivotal players won't find it tough to fit in a player like Ronaldo.
More importantly, he has been able to play his team in those formations in which Ronaldo has always excelled. During the last Serie A campaign, he predominantly deployed 4-2-3-1 as well as 4-3-3 formations which have always reaped great rewards for CR7.
Allegri's tactical flexibility will allow Ronaldo to play in his favored position, this in turn will be hugely beneficial for him as well as The Old Lady.
#3 Brilliant supporting cast
Juventus has one of the best squads in Europe at the moment, even excluding Ronaldo. The likes of Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, and Miralem Pjanic are among the best in their respective positions and have been ably supported by Mario Mandzukic, Douglas Costa and Sami Khedira for the past few seasons.
Although the defense has grown old, the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Medhi Benatia are still a hard nut to crack.
They will be ably supported by the likes of Andrea Barzagli and Daniele Rugani. Also, the team has many experienced campaigners and Ronaldo's presence will surely add the killer instinct to this side.
Moreover, the goal-scoring burden will be shared by Higuain and Dybala, this will ease the pressure on Ronaldo who was heavily burdened with goal-scoring duties at the Santiago Bernabeu. It is a major plus for Ronaldo, who will be looking to take full advantage of the terrific squad at The Old Lady.
#2 Fitness
In the recently concluded World Cup in Russia, Ronaldo registered the highest speed of the tournament when he clocked a top speed of 34km/h despite being 33 years old!
Cristiano Ronaldo has always been in great shape over the course of his career, particularly at Madrid. He literally worships his body and follows a strict diet regime to keep his body in shape. Since the career threatening injury he suffered in the Euro 2016 final, he has missed only 6 games owing to an injury.
Moreover, he has evolved his playing style quite considerably, now he stresses less on dribbling and more on his off the ball intelligence. Looking at his current fitness level, it is safe to say that Ronaldo can carry on for at least 2-3 seasons playing at the highest level, this will give him enough time to excel at Juventus.
#1 Lesser competition
Despite facing some intense competition from Napoli last season, Serie A still remains a one-horse race, and now that Ronaldo has joined The Old Lady, the league and cup title almost looks done and dusted in Italy, it will be a major upset if Juventus fails to claim any one of those titles.
Despite the fact the Serie A was arguably the best League during the 2017-18 season, it is still not as competitive as La Liga. The teams from La Liga are far better than that of Serie A. Real Madrid in particular faced stiff competition from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid for the La Liga and Copa Del Ray titles.
During his 9 year spell at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo only managed to win 2 La Liga and 2 Copa Del ray titles. He also had to face Messi, and more recently Suarez and Neymar for individual honors.
Serie A has no such competition, and thus it will boost Ronaldo's chances of winning multiple club and individual honors.