Szczesny reveals the advantage of having Ronaldo as a teammate

The Polish goalkeeper played alongside CR7 for three years at Juventus.

Having Cristiano Ronaldo as a teammate is like being 1-0 ahead before the start of a match, according to Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

It’s been almost a year since Ronaldo ended a trophy and goal-laden three seasons with the Bianconeri to return to Manchester United, but his legacy in Turin still burns brightly to this day.

‘It was like being 1-0 ahead’

In an interview with Polish newspaper Przegld Sportowy, Szczesny opened up on his experience of sharing the dressing room with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

“A brilliant player, who makes a difference on and off the pitch,” the 32-year-old said of Ronaldo.

“I don’t know if there is anyone in the world at his level. When he arrived, however, we didn’t see him as CR7, but as a teammate.

“With him, however, there were things that I have never heard with other players: entering the field with him, even before the referee whistled the start, it was like being 1-0 ahead. It was impressive.”

Szczesny made 101 appearances alongside Ronaldo during the Portugal captain’s spell in Italy. The pair won five trophies, including back-to-back Serie A titles, together.