Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure left a huge void upfront for Juventus, who struggled initially to get things running as the current season began without the coveted superstar.
The Portuguese striker made a sensational return back to Manchester United after spending three years in Turin, during which he scored a whopping 101 goals in 134 appearances across all competitions – keeping up with his reputation as the greatest goalscorer of the modern era.
Juventus have so far managed to pick themselves up from the initial slump, as they now seek a spot in the top four in a bid to make it to Europe next season.
Speaking of the ex-Real Madrid forward’s influence and impact on the Bianconeri, veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini has disclosed that Ronaldo’s presence helped Juventus ‘hide the team’s problems’.
“Cristiano hid the problems the team had. He was an important player. With a top player like him in the team, it’s easier to hide problems,” he commented (via A Bola).
The Bianconeri managed to rope in highly-sought after target Manuel Locatelli from Sassuolo, alongside a few other transfers to bolster the squad.
He added: “I was expecting a difficult season after Cristiano left, but we are practically the same team as last season, with Locatelli and Kean, but without Cristiano.”
Juventus sit in 5th place with 38 points, trailing Atalanta by three points after 21 games.
“If we work hard, we can achieve our goals, but we cannot feel inferior or let our mental energy run out, something we are no longer used to doing. That’s the most difficult thing,” he ended.
The Bianconeri most recently grabbed a thrilling 4-3 victory from under the noses of Jose Mourinho’s Roma, scoring three goals in the space of seven minutes, in arguably their most spirited performance of the season.
Juventus face Derby d’Italia rivals Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana final next.