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Juventus great Gianluigi Buffon has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese star sealed an unexpected return to Manchester United towards the end of the summer transfer window. The Red Devils launched a late bid to secure his services and Ronaldo quickly agreed a two-year contract to return to Old Trafford, a decision that came as a crushing blow to Juventus.
Buffon, who left Juventus this summer to rejoin former club Parma, indicated that he understood the rationale behind Ronaldo's rather untimely departure. In an interview with Radio anch'io sport (quotes via Mirror), the veteran goalkeeper said that he doesn't see anything illogical with Ronaldo's decision.
"I don’t think the fans should be surprised. He has the reputation of a great professional who rightly thinks about himself a lot."
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"In these three years, he has contributed with great performances and scored many goals. I don’t see anything illogical in his choice to leave, he thought a lot about it."
"Juventus are in a transition period, I don’t know if it’s generational or the skeleton. You pay a bit when these things happen. When you have a coach like Allegri, maybe you don’t reach the target, but you get close to it."
Ronaldo returns to Manchester United for last dance after Juventus adventure
Nearly 12 years after leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid, Ronaldo has returned to Old Trafford for a fee believed to be in the region of €23 million, including add-ons. While he scored goals consistently for Juventus, the 36-year-old did not have enough support around him to spearhead the Bianconeri to greater heights, as they regularly faltered in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.
Ronaldo was slandered by Juventus legends like Alessio Tacchinardi and Sergio Brio over his decision to leave the club at the business end of the transfer window, but Buffon made no such claims in a refreshingly honest interview.
Manchester United have been on the rise over the past 12 months and the addition of Ronaldo makes them a force to be reckoned with. The Red Devils also snapped up Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho this summer and it remains to be seen if they compete on all fronts in the 2021-22 campaign.
