Patrice Evra has stayed close to Juventus after his retirement. Having spent time also at Manchester United, he provided his expert opinion on why Cristiano Ronaldo departed: “He needs love and respect. He understood that he was starting to become the scapegoat for the dissatisfying results in Turin. However, many forget that winning the title every year is still a feat. If you ask president Andrea Agnelli, that is always his primary goal.”
He talked to La Repubblica: “I think the criticism toward him in Italy was ridiculous and hypocritical. Also, the words by Massimiliano Allegri had some weight too. He said that he would not field him all the time. There is no need to say that stuff in public. These matters are better handled privately; otherwise, Ronaldo hears and is affected by them.”
The former fullback stated that the Portuguese star was drawn to Manchester United also for other reasons: “Even though he played at Real Madrid and Juventus, the Red Devils are his true love. He finds what he is looking for from an emotional standpoint there. And nobody would ever dispraise him. As soon as he had the opportunity to reunite with them, he did not think twice about it. Ronaldo gives his life to the team that loves and respects him.”
Evra said his piece on Allegri: “He is incredibly knowledgeable about football. He always predicts correctly how a game will go. He is obsessed with the fixtures against the minnows, while he does worry too much about big matches. I regret leaving Juventus, but I am a little crazy. That year, he told me that I would not feature in every game, but I did not want to rest too much. Giorgio Chiellini is still mad at me for that.”