What Juventus Chairman Said About Ronaldo In 2013
REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
It’s been a whirlwind few days in world football. Aside from the fact that the World Cup final takes place soon, perhaps the more sensational news is on the transfer front.
Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world this week by announcing his desire to part ways with Real Madrid after nine successful years with Los Blancos, only to join fierce European rivals Juventus in a deal that will be remembered for years to come.
But perhaps we should have seen it coming. With Zinedine Zidane himself calling it quits after winning a hat-trick of Champions League crowns, the writing was on the wall as far as the marquee players at the club were concerned.
What does come as a surprise, however, is the fact that Juventus themselves had made plans of signing Ronaldo, and even predicted the same long before the actual signing took place.
WATCH: What Ronaldo Said About Messi After Juventus Transfer
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We need to head back to 2013, thanks to SportBible finding a quote from Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli, where he boldly made the statement of signing players such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
“We need to be patient, in 5 years time we will be able to sign players like Ronaldo,” Agnelli had said in a bizarre soothsayer-type comment.
It is credit to Agnelli not just for the prediction, but also his vision of where he sees a club like Juventus in the near future, signing upcoming talent and coupling it with the experience and winning mentality of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
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At 33 years of age, the critics may be calling the Portuguese a has-been, but his recent performances have shown he still operates at a very high level, and may even play till the age of 40.
As for Real Madrid themselves, the Galacticos have been linked with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Eden Hazard, and Neymar to join the club as an able replacement for their departing talisman.