Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci SLAM Cristiano Ronaldo for negative impact on Juventus

‘We paid for it in points’: Giorgio Chiellini claims Juventus should have sold Cristiano Ronaldo EARLIER, while Leonardo Bonucci insists the Italian giants play more like a team WITHOUT him

  • Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the football world by leaving Juventus for Man United
  • The Portuguese icon quit the Old Lady in a £19.7m exit in the last week of August
  • Juventus star Giorgio Chiellini claims Ronaldo should have left the club earlier
  • Chiellini claims the shock of Ronaldo’s exit cost Juventus points earlier this term
  • Juventus failed to win their first four Serie A ties but have now won six in a row


Giorgio Chiellini has hit out at Cristiano Ronaldo for deciding to join Manchester United very late in the summer transfer window and claims Juventus ‘paid for it’ in points at the start of the season. 

Ronaldo started the season with the Old Lady, the club where he had spent the last three seasons, but decided to rejoin former club United in the final week of August for a £19.7million transfer fee.

Chiellini’s Juventus started the season poorly with no wins in their first four league games and the Italian defender, along with defensive partner Leonardo Bonucci, have ripped into Ronaldo about his impact on the team.

Giorgio Chiellini (left) has slammed Cristiano Ronaldo (right) for leaving Juventus too late in the transfer window

vRonaldo completed a £19.7m million return to Manchester United in the last week of August

Ronaldo completed a £19.7m million return to Manchester United in the last week of August

After Juventus beat Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, Chiellini admitted that Ronaldo’s departure affected his team’s form at the start of the season, before claiming the Portuguese forward should have quit at the start of August.

The centre back told DAZN: ‘We had reached a point in the relationship where Cristiano needed new incentives and a new team that could play for him, because when he finds such a team he is decisive. 

‘He has been proving it in recent months and showed it in the three years that he was with us.

‘A rejuvenation restart programme grew here at Juventus. If Ronaldo had stayed, it would have been an added value and we would have gladly exploited it, but he might be thinking more about the present than the future. 

Chiellini claims Juventus were shocked by Ronaldo's exit, which cost them points in Serie A

Chiellini claims Juventus were shocked by Ronaldo’s exit, which cost them points in Serie A

‘He left on August 28th, it would have been better for us if he had left earlier. It’s something we paid for, there’s a little shock in it for you and in my opinion we paid for it in terms of points. 

‘Had he gone away on August 1st, we would have had time to prepare better.’

Juventus appear to have overcome the shock of Ronaldo’s departure, with Massimiliano Allegri’s side picking up six straight wins in all competitions, including three wins from three in the Champions League. 

And Chiellini’s Juventus defensive partner Bonucci admits the Old Lady are playing with more togetherness after Ronaldo’s Turin exit. 

Leonardo Bonucci (right) says Juventus are playing with more togetherness without Ronaldo

Leonardo Bonucci (right) says Juventus are playing with more togetherness without Ronaldo

When asked by Sky Sport Italia if Juventus are playing more as a team without Ronaldo, the Italian defender said: ‘It’s absolutely true.

‘In the recent past we had lost this characteristic from Juve, we were playing with a great champion like CR7 and we wanted to put him in a position to always do well, thinking he could solve all the matches.

‘This year we are rediscovering that right humility that it serves to regain victory.’ 

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has also started his second dawn at Manchester United strongly with six goals in eight matches since his Old Trafford return, including strikes in all three of the Red Devils’ European group stage matches. 

Italian giants Juventus have recovered from a poor start to the season with six straight wins

Italian giants Juventus have recovered from a poor start to the season with six straight wins

The Portuguese forward has been criticised for United’s recent form – which has seen them fail to win their last three Premier League games – amid questions over whether he can press efficiently.

But Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended Ronaldo after his late goal sealed a 3-2 comeback win over Atalanta on Wednesday night. 

‘If anyone wants to criticise him for his work rate or attitude, just watch this game, watch how he runs around – he’s great in front of goal,’ said Solskjaer.

Ronaldo (second right) has scored six goals in eight matches for United since leaving Juventus

Ronaldo (second right) has scored six goals in eight matches for United since leaving Juventus

‘I was really pleased with how he led the line. We asked him to run the channels and press more. We were at home and we wanted to get the crowd behind us.

‘He did everything a centre-forward should do, leading the line and defending. The goal is just what he does better than most.’

Ronaldo enjoyed three successful years at Juventus, winning the Serie A title in 2019 and 2020 and ending both those seasons as the Italian top-flight’s Footballer of the Year. 

He also finished as Serie A’s top goalscorer last season with 29 goals but the Old Lady missed out on the Scudetto to Inter Milan, while Ronaldo also failed to win the Champions League in his three seasons in Turin. 

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