"It is what has impacted me the most" - Former Juventus star opens up on Cristiano Ronaldo's surprising quality that influenced him

Leonardo Spinazzola has claimed that he was struck by Cristiano Ronaldo's humility when the pair were together at Juventus.

The Al-Nassr centre-forward is widely regarded as one of the best footballers in history. He has, however, earned a reputation for being cocky due to some of his antics on and off the field, especially this season.

One such instance came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Cristiano Ronaldo was seen making a disrespectful gesture towards a South Korean player in his team's 2-1 group-stage loss.

He was publicly called out by then-Portugal boss Fernando Santos, who dropped him for both of his team's knockout games in Qatar. The incident came just a few weeks after a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan forced Manchester United to sever ties with him by mutual consent.

However, Spinazzola has stated that it was the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's humility that struck him the most at Juventus. Asked what kind of a teammate Ronaldo was, the Italy international, who currently plays at AS Roma, told AS:

"What has stuck with me is his humility. Many think not, but it is so and it is what has impacted me the most, in addition to the football that everyone knows. There are a lot of much more conceited players and they are not even half of Cristiano's half."

Spinazzola and Ronaldo were together at Juve during the 2018-19 season, where they shared the pitch seven times as teammates. The Italian wing-back left the Old Lady in the summer of 2019 for I Giallorossi.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, left Turin for Manchester United in the summer of 2021 after registering 101 goals and 22 assists in 134 games across competitions and winning two Serie A titles.

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Real Madrid superstar could join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo's next destination after his unceremonious exit from Manchester United in November was a hotly discussed topic for several weeks.

He ended up joining Al-Nassr, who have seen a humongous rise in their popularity since his arrival in late December. They are now reportedly an option for Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric.

According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna (h/t @DeadlineDayLive), the Croatian midfielder could be reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi first division. The 37-year-old is in the final four months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and is expected to leave as a free agent.

The two spent six years in Madrid. Ronaldo's presence at Al-Nassr could have made the club a more attractive destination for big-name players such as Modric.