Gigi Buffon believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Juventus ultimately proved damaging to their prospects, especially in the Champions League. ‘We lost that DNA of being a team, a single unit.’
The goalkeeper is currently back in Serie B with his first club Parma and has no intention of retiring just yet, as he tries to earn promotion with the Ducali.
He spoke to TUDN.com about his situation at the Stadio Tardini, and potential future prospects in Mexico and the United States.
Buffon also commented on the effect that CR7 had on Juventus, above all after the Portuguese star’s return to Manchester United.
“Juve had the chance to win the Champions League the first year he arrived, which was the year I was at Paris Saint-Germain, and I couldn’t figure out what happened,” said Buffon.
“When I returned, I worked with CR7 for two years and we did well together, but I think Juve lost that DNA of being a team.
“We reached the Champions League Final in 2017 because we were a side full of experience, but above all we were a single unit and there was this competition for places within the group that was very strong. We lost that with Ronaldo.”
The statistics do show some evidence for that, as despite leaving in the summer for Manchester United, Ronaldo is still the top Juventus scorer for the calendar year 2021 with 20 goals in all competition.
It is hardly the first time that Juve players have said Ronaldo’s presence focused all their attentions on giving him service, with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini also mentioning they were relying on individual talents rather than acting as a team.