Andrea PirloA Juventus legend as a player, switched to coaching and seized the opportunity to lead the team after the departure of Maurizio Sarri. Although he did not capture the elusive UEFA Champions League, he successfully guided the team to 2020/21 Italian Cup glory and 2020/21 Italian Super Cup victory. Despite these achievements, his former assistant recently made a shocking revelation about his management involving Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.
“Pirlo didn’t like Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t suit his playing style at all. He wanted to push high up the pitch and the data showed that Cristiano Ronaldo was the worst at sprinting. He didn’t want it, but he couldn’t help it. It was just Cristiano Ronaldo… He preferred Alvaro Morata, who fit his approach perfectly. His system didn’t work for Ronaldo, but he couldn’t change it.” Alparslan Erdem said via BILD.
Upon his arrival at Juventus, Andrea Pirlo implemented a tactical system that positioned Cristiano Ronaldo as the starting striker, while Dejan Kulusevski excelled as a second striker. Although Pirlo initially preferred a striker known for his aggressive pressing, Ronaldo defied expectations by scoring 36 goals in 44 games during the 2020/21 season.making him the key figure in the Italian team.
In stark contrast Paulo Dybala had a challenging season as he found himself relegated to the bench despite previous successes with the team. During the 2020/21 season, the Argentina star made just 26 appearances, registering five goals and four assists. This reduced role ultimately led to the decision by Juventus management not to renew his contract. Consequently, Dybala left as a free agent in 2022 and signed with AS Roma.
Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with the TIMVISION cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Juventus was marked by criticism despite top performances
After joining Juventus in 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo has revived his career by securing two Serie A titles (2018-19, 2019-20), a Coppa Italia (2020-21) and two Italian Super Cups (2018, 2020). With 101 goals in 134 appearances, he established himself as a key figure for the Italian team. Despite this success, prominent figures including former Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli criticized Ronaldo’s tenure.
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“Signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a big mistake. I’ve said that from day one. He is a great player, a champion, but too expensive. Now everything is in the hands of Juventus, who pay him a million euros for every goal… I can’t blame Pirlo. Andrea Agnelli [2021 team’s president] took a lot of risks and didn’t want Maurizio Sarri any longer. He accepted it because it was Paratici and Nedved’s choice.’ said Giovanni Cobolli in 2021, as reported by ESPN.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus with the aim of winning the Champions League title, but the team failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals since his arrival. This isn’t a Ronaldo failure; rather, it highlights the front office’s inability to put together a formidable squad, compounded by coaching instability. Ronaldo delivered on his promise by consistently scoring goals, but Juventus fell short in building a truly competitive project team around him.
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