Andrea Agnelli, former president of Serie A giants Juventus, has on Friday moved to defend his decision to sanction a big-money move for Cristiano Ronaldo whilst at the helm in Turin.
Iconic frontman Ronaldo, of course, linked up with Juve back in the summer of 2018, in a €100 million transfer from Real Madrid.
The move, at the time, raised more than a few eyebrows across the continent, with the Bianconeri having not exactly been flush with cash, and the Portuguese well into his 30s.
In turn, the theory was pushed that Ronaldo’s arrival came more with a view to the marketing side of things, than matters on the pitch itself.
As much was not exactly disproved, either, upon Juventus failing to advance beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League across the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s stint at the club.
Speaking to The Financial Times, as cited by Tribal Football, on Friday, the subject of his call to green light Ronaldo’s arrival six years ago was therefore put to the aforementioned Andrea Agnelli.
The Italian, though, was unwavering in his stance that the transfer was the right one for the Old Lady, with the Covid-19 pandemic having been the decisive factor in CR7’s stint with the club unfolding in the manner it did:
“It was a good move. Give me Ronaldo and let me field him without a pandemic, it’s another story.”
Conor Laird | GIFN
