Despite it being his first Serie A Capocannoniere title, Cristiano Ronaldo has seen more criticism in the wake of the Juventus struggles than at perhaps any other time in his career, writes Susy Campanale.
It seems remarkable that after a season with 29 goals in 33 Serie A appearances, six clear of second-placed Romelu Lukaku, it should still be considered a dud campaign for Cristiano Ronaldo. It is his first Capocannoniere title, at the third attempt, having previously been beaten to the punch by Ciro Immobile and Fabio Quagliarella. The general Juventus struggles in all competition have cast a pall over every other achievement in the squad, but there’s more to it than simply the team not delivering. As time has worn on into his third season in the Bianconeri jersey, more and more criticism has been aimed at CR7 for his playing style, soloist tendencies and inability to make the difference in the big games.
Ronaldo was signed in order to give Juve that extra step up they needed in the Champions League after dominating Serie A for almost a decade, but it didn’t pan out that way, never getting into the crunch rounds of the tournament. It was hoped he would then be the key figure to give them an edge in Scudetto showdowns, but this season more than any other, the 36-year-old vanished when the moment came.
It is true that he is the Capocannoniere for this campaign and scored 29 goals in just 33 Serie A appearances, but his record in the fixtures against the top teams is dismal. In the seven matches against Inter, Milan, Atalanta and Napoli, Ronaldo scored just two goals, missing the defeat to Atalanta with a hip injury. Out of those two goals, one was a rebound from a saved penalty against Inter, the other a fairly simple finish in the rescheduled 2-1 victory over Napoli. In the 1-1 draw he did play with Atalanta in December, the spot-kick was parried by Pierluigi Gollini.
What can be said is that the nickname ‘Penaldo’ is highly inaccurate for this season, as only six of his 29 Serie A goals came from the spot. On the other hand, his astonishing record of one single direct free kick in three years of Juventus, with a vast majority going straight into the wall, remains deeply frustrating. It must be particularly painful for Andrea Pirlo to watch on from the touchline, knowing how many he’d be able to curl in if standing in Ronaldo’s boots.
It’s been said that CR7 continues to take the free kick duties because he is selfish, not giving others an opportunity to show what they can do. That same criticism is reflected in his assists tally of just two, as if there is a chance to go for the goal himself, he’s rarely going to pass that up. Even when looking at the two assists, only the one for Federico Chiesa against Udinese was genuinely meant to send his teammate through on goal. The other for Arthur against Bologna was more of a midfield pass, leading to a deflected long-range strike.
When a forward is paid €31m per season in wages, he is expected to make the difference for his team in all competition and against the biggest opponents. Instead, Ronaldo has increasingly been treated as a hindrance by some in the media and even the Juventus fanbase. After Maurizio Sarri, now Pirlo struggles to fit the 36-year-old into his tactical approach, with reports that every time a new position is suggested, the veteran shoots it down. In their worst team performances, he has been entirely anonymous and even started to miss free headers in later weeks.
Of course, all of this is failing to take into account the obvious: this is the Capocannoniere, a man with 81 goals in 97 Serie A appearances and who only failed to take the top scorer title last season due to Ciro Immobile’s record-equalling tally of 36. It says so much about how high the standards have been set by Ronaldo that he can be criticised even in these circumstances.
When Juventus won the Scudetto, any question marks could be brushed under the rug, but their capitulation this term has inevitably put CR7’s role into focus. Pirlo has chopped and changed, trying to create a meaningful partnership with Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala and even Dejan Kulusevski, but Ronaldo is the only constant in this ever-changing line-up. Even with 29 goals under his belt, some are asking if that’s enough to warrant his unyielding influence over the entire team.
Read the full 2020-21 Serie A season review here.