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Juventus CEO admits club didn’t unlock Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential

Cristiano Ronaldo
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CR7 left the Italian club last summer a year before his contract was up in favor of a return to Manchester United.

Juventus didn’t fulfil Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential entirely, according to the club’s CEO Maurizio Arrivabene.

The Portuguese ace played for Juventus between 2018 and 2021. He managed 101 goals and 22 assists in 134 appearances, helping the Serie A club win five domestic trophies – including back-to-back league titles – before returning to Manchester United last summer.

No Champions League success, however, arguably left a slight dent in an otherwise successful period for Ronaldo.

Why didn’t Juve fulfill Ronaldo’s potential?

Now Arrivabene, who joined Juventus just a few weeks before Ronaldo’s departure last year, has said the coronavirus pandemic prevented the club from exploiting the star’s full potential.

“Ronaldo’s potential wasn’t entirely fulfilled because of COVID,” he told Tuttosport.

“It’s a pity, but I am convinced that Juventus are bigger than any player. It’s a club with precise rules, so the team is always more important than single players. There are rules that everyone must respect here, including me.”

In their first season without Ronaldo, Juventus won no silverware. The Bianconeri finished fourth in the Serie A standings. They lost the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana finals, and suffered a last-16 exit in the Champions League.

Paulo Dybala, who has left the club as a free agent, was the top-scorer with 15 goals in all competitions.

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