Sarri reveals the problems he had coaching Ronaldo at Juventus

Former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has opened up on the difficult experience he had coaching Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maurizio Sarri claims that managing Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t a simple task as the Juventus star is a ‘multinational company’.

Ronaldo played under Sarri at Juventus for the 2019/20 season. He supplied 37 goals and nine assists in only 46 appearances to help the chain-smoking Italian win his first Serie A title.

A Champions League last-16 defeat to Lyon, however, cost Sarri his job in Turin. The 62-year-old has only just returned to football after a season out as Lazio’s new manager for 2021/22.

Now Sarri has opened up on his experience coaching Ronaldo and remarked on how fans are more interested in the players rather than the teams nowadays.

“Ronaldo’s management is not simple, from all points of view,” he told SportItalia.

“He’s a multinational company, he has personal interests that must coincide with football.

“His interests go beyond normalcy, beyond the team or club. I’m a coach, not a manager. Ronaldo, however, brings the numbers at the end of the year.

“But in recent years, I hear a lot about players and little about teams.”

⚠️ ESCLUSIVA SARRI

Dopo un anno, Maurizio #Sarri torna a parlare dell'avventura alla #Juventus, lanciando una frecciata ai bianconeri: "Mio scudetto dato per scontato, quest'anno festeggiato il quarto posto"#Sportitalia @AlfredoPedulla pic.twitter.com/NuZCaubHy0

— Sportitalia (@tvdellosport) July 5, 2021

Will CR7 stay at Juventus?

Reports in Italy have claimed Juventus could sell Ronaldo due to his €31 million-per-season salary. But the club’s new football director, Federico Cherubini, has suggested otherwise.

The latest rumors claim the Portuguese’s agent, Jorge Mendes, will hold talks with the Bianconeri over a new one-year deal until 2023.

“It depends on the needs of the club,” said Sarri on whether he expects Ronaldo to stay.

“If they have to save on the salary then they have to make a choice. In my opinion, it is better to give up one player than five or six with the same savings.”