Ex-Juventus Star Admits Taking Tips From Cristiano Ronaldo 6 Months After Leicester City Debut – “I Tried to Be a Sponge…”

Cristiano Ronaldo‘s time at Juventus is often understated. The Portuguese icon couldn’t replicate his European magic at Turin, having led Real Madrid to 4 UEFA Champions League titles in 9 years. However, with 101 goals in 134 matches, the soccer legend sits 14th in Bianconeri’s all-time leading goalscorers list and wowed fans during his 3-year stay in Italy. Perhaps, this might be why a highly-rated attacker, who is making the noise in the EFL Championship, has described CR7 as an inspiration on the pitch and even in ‘daily life‘.

CR7 left Juventus abruptly in 2021 despite having one more season left in his contract. This left a sour taste within many players and officials including the ex-Juventus CEO. However, it seems the youngster from Leicester City is grateful for the time he spent with Cristiano Ronaldo!

Stephy Mavididi again credited Cristiano Ronaldo for ‘loads of tips’, amid breathtaking Championship run

The English winger has heaped praise on CR7 in a recent interview, having trained with Cristiano Ronaldo while at Juventus. He stated, “Having him [Cristiano Ronaldo] there was really good. I tried to be a sponge and try and take loads of tips from him and try and add them not just to my game, but daily life.” The tips seem to be benefitting Mavididi immensely, who was named the EFL Player of the Month in December after scoring 5 goals in the last month of 2023. His form has also played a huge part in Leicester City’s domination at the top of the table in the Championship standings.

He is a hugely influential player for the Foxes, a contrast from his spell at Juventus where he made just a single senior team appearance between 2018  and 2020. Yet, he never seemed to regret his time in Turin. Back in 2020, the 25-year-old had spoken of how it was a privilege to train with Cristiano Ronaldo. Per Mavididi, watching CR7 was a learning experience much deeper than asking questions. However, not everyone is in union with the Al Nassr attacker’s time at the Old Lady. A former CEO slammed the Portuguese icon, following his inability to live up to the ‘great expectations‘.

Ex-Juventus bigshot looked down upon CR7’s stint in Italy, citing his failure to deliver ‘expected results’

Giuseppe Marotta seems to be in the minority regarding Cr7’s spell at Juventus. The former CEO (2010-2018) said recently, “Juventus’ purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo did not bring the expected results. Let’s say that his contribution did not live up to the great expectations that were there when he arrived.” Although the legend’s numbers paint a different story, it is understandable that Marotta is speaking of Bianconeri’s failures in Europe.

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Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t help Juventus reach the Champions League semi-final even once during his 3-year long stay. Hence, those could be the reasons why Marotta didn’t find the $127 million transfer of the then 34-year-old Ronaldo as a big success.

What is your opinion of Ronaldo’s spell at Juventus? Tell us in the comments below.

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