Manchester United seem to be experiencing something similar to Juventus as Cristiano Ronaldo surprised his teammates by returning to Portugal hours before the derby against Manchester City yesterday.
Ronaldo was omitted from the Red Devils’ squad yesterday, with Ralf Rangnick claiming that the Portuguese star had suffered a slight injury. The striker’s sister Katia Aveiro denied it on social media by liking an Instagram post that claimed Ronaldo was fit for the game.
Cristiano has scored 15 goals in 31 games across all competitions this season, but his goal contribution contrasts with his behaviour on and off the pitch. This is something that Juventus have already experienced during the striker’s three-year spell in Turin.
Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 games but was sometimes accused of showing a bad attitude towards his teammates. Back in 2019, he was rested for an away match against Lecce. He remained in Turin, going truffle hunting in the countryside while Juventus picked up a 1-1 draw. The Old Lady’s fans at that time questioned Ronaldo’s decision to remain home, asking whether he could have travelled South to help his side coming off the bench at some point in the second half.
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His tense relationship with Maurizio Sarri didn’t help. Ronaldo once left the Allianz Stadium before the end of a Serie A clash against Milan after being replaced by Paulo Dybala, who eventually scored the winner against the Rossoneri.
Juventus players were unhappy with the treatment Ronaldo was getting from the club, especially in his final year in Turin. The series All Or Nothing showed a dressing room argument between the Portuguese star, Juan Cuadrado and Leonardo Bonucci during the break of Juventus-Porto one year ago.
Cuadrado telling Ronaldo to be an example LMAOO who is that guy 😭pic.twitter.com/qtFkGGeqQM
— Galu 🇦🇷 (@PSGalu) November 25, 2021
Juventus missed Ronaldo’s goals in the first part of the season, but have slowly recovered unity and their DNA. “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,” Juventus legend Gigi Buffon said in December.
Last month, Massimiliano Allegri said that Juventus players “had put personal targets aside, focusing on the team.” Manchester United are now experiencing something similar. He is helping his team with goals, although his Prima Donna attitude is sometimes not beneficial inside the dressing room.