19.11.2019 » Will Ronaldo end his career at Juventus?
When footballers reach the age of 34, it is natural for them to start thinking about the end of their careers. Given how strong he is physically and how largely free of injuries he has been, there's no reason why Cristiano Ronaldo can't carry on playing for a good few seasons yet. But he will want to play for a club where he is universally loved, and where he won't be drawn into bitter disputes with his teammates. At the moment, it does not look as though those philosophies are being met at Juventus...
Cristiano Ronaldo - Dribbling:
Not quite the fairy tale
everyone expected...
Ronaldo's first season in Turin went like a charm. He finished as the "Old Lady's" top goalscorer, as they swept to the Serie A title.
But disappointment at their Champions League performance must have rankled with the legendary Portuguese player, and that has manifested itself in a series of disagreements with his fellow players and manager.
That all came to a head in the game against AC Milan earlier in November. The Juventus manager, Maurizio Sarri, decided to substitute CR7 after just 55 minutes, and after also being withdrawn early against Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League, it seems as though Ronaldo snapped.
He headed straight down the tunnel, not even acknowledging Sarri or the rest of his teammates in the dugout, and according to newspaper reports, he left the stadium almost immediately.
And apparently, his Juve teammates want a personal apology before he can be welcomed back into the fold.
At the end of the 2019/20 season, Ronaldo will be halfway through his four-year contract with the Italians, and you wonder if things don't improve on and off the pitch whether he might be heading for the exit door.
With his past connections in football, there are certainly two clubs that would welcome him with open arms...
Coming home...
If Ronaldo was to name his favourite club in the world, it wouldn't be a surprise if he said Manchester United.
After all, that was where he made his name as a flying winger with an incredible goal record, and he is still revered as an icon at the English club to this day.
What Ronaldo needs is to feel wanted and loved, and he would certainly get that at Old Trafford, where he could rekindle his excellent relationship with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It was the Norwegian that recommended United sign Ronaldo all those years ago, and when Solskjaer subsequently became a coach in Manchester, this is what CR7 had to say about him: "He's very good. I look for Ole like a man, not just a coach now. He's a fantastic guy and I have a great relationship with him."
A return to Manchester could be on the cards for Cristiano then, although the Red Devils would surely need to finish in the Champions League places if they were to tempt their former star back to the club in the summer. According to the latest English Premier League odds, United are behind six other teams in the race for a top four finish, so that might be enough to put them to the back of the queue for Ronaldo's signature.
Fun in Florida...
When footballers reach the winter of their careers, they often speak about needing a new challenge to keep them motivated.
So what better way for Ronaldo to get his competitive juices flowing than by helping Inter Miami to their first MLS trophy in their debut campaign as a new franchise?
The Florida outfit are owned by David Beckham, who Cristiano is known to have plenty of respect for and after all, who wouldn't want to live in Florida?
The likes of Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have already paved the way for CR7 in US soccer, and nobody would be that surprised if he were to seek a new challenge in the sunshine.
It's probable that Ronaldo won't finish his career at Juventus, so could a link-up with one of his former Manchester United teammates be a possibility?
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Juventus in the Serie A is on November 23, against Atalanta. You can watch Atalanta vs Juventus, Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad, Leganes vs Barcelona, Man City vs Chelsea, Arsenal vs Southampton, and Germany vs Northern Ireland, all matches provided from our footy live game pages.
Juventus next game:
Atalanta vs Juventus kick-off time (23-11-2019):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 22:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 21:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 19:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+1: 15:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 15:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 14:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 11:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 10:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 07:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / thesun.co.uk / mirror.co.uk
