Cristiano Ronaldo is 36 years old. When he moved to Juventus at the age of 33, it seemed like a match made in heaven. He had become a fan favorite among Juve fans even before his switch from Real Madrid.
The Portuguese was merely repaying the affection that was showered on him following his wonder goal in the 2017-18 Champions League tie. So, it came as no surprise when Juventus splashed €117 to make Turin his residence. Ronaldo has not disappointed since and continues his goal-scoring spree. Despite his advancing age, he remains a pivotal figure for the Old Lady.
The problem is that Ronaldo is too pivotal for the reigning Italian champions. Juventus have been the dominant force in Serie A for the last decade but that cycle is coming to an end. But Ronaldo was not brought to add league titles. Juve were doing that with Gonzalo Higuain leading the lines. Ronaldo was brought to lift the Champions League.
Juve have failed to realize their ambitions. The current season could not have gone more awry. The Old Lady is languishing fifth in Serie A and faces the prospect of exiting the Champions League in the knockout stages. Prior to the Federico Chiesa strike against Porto, every knockout goal for Juventus has come from the boots of Ronaldo.
It begs the question of Juve’s reliance on Ronaldo as being their source of inspiration. It’s not just the goals, it’s his overall stature as the leading footballer, his leadership qualities, his commitment, and his work ethic that puts him far ahead of any of his current teammates.
As matches are played behind closed doors, this season is unique as compared with previous campaigns. Players have been confined with their coaches to train in a bio-secure environment. The maestro remains at the top of his game. He is leading the goal-scoring charts in Serie A despite the fact that Milanese clubs are setting the pace this season.
For a club of Juve’s stature, one wouldn’t have expected to see them struggle like they have done this season. Like all seasons, they entered this year’s campaign as the favorites only to see their hopes dashed by their inconsistencies in front of goal.
Following the Porto defeat, Arsene Wenger’s assessment couldn’t have been better. The Frenchman suggested that Juve are over-reliant on CR7 and his teammates are just not good enough.
Andrea Pirlo had a big task on his hands to find the balance where he is able to find goals from other sources. Alvaro Morata remains their secondary source but other than that, the squad does not seem to have the mental capacity to match their Portuguese talisman. He recently broke Pele’s all-time goal-scoring record, and over 50% of the goals for Juve this season have come from his boots.
Pirlo concedes that it is natural for the team to look up to their talisman for inspiration: “From the beginning, we tried to exploit Ronaldo for his characteristics, we wanted to bring him to be decisive in the last meters … He was decisive everywhere, it’s normal when you have a champion like him, that you depend on him.”
But where does Juventus move from here? Do they keep Ronaldo and hope he continues to deliver like Fabio Quagliarella. After all, if he claims the capocannoniere, he will follow in the footsteps of Sampdoria’s second-highest scorer, who achieved the feat in Ronaldo’s debut year with Juventus. And if Zlatan Ibrahimovic can continue to deliver at the age of 39, surely CR7 can match it.
More importantly, would Ronaldo want to continue in his current surroundings? The Madeiran is extremely competitive and would not want to be a part of a rebuilding project at this stage of his career. He has repaid the faith put in him but he cannot fulfill the promises with an underwhelming squad.
At the moment, Ronaldo holds all the cards. The decision over his future will be made in the summer. Juventus have to qualify for the Champions League if they harbor ambitions of keeping him in their ranks. The Europa League is beneath him and he will not be sticking around for it.