Cristiano Ronaldo might have been troublesome for some managers, but former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is definitely not one of them.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
- Pirlo managed Ronaldo from August 2020 to May 2021
- Won Coppa Italia together at Turin
- Italian hailed Ronaldo for his dedication and professionalism
-
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 44-year-old manager was in charge of Juventus from August 2020 to May 2021 when he got to work closely with the Portuguese talisman. Ronaldo fired on all cylinders in that campaign, scoring 36 goals in 44 appearances and guiding the Bianconeri to the Coppa Italia title as well.
Advertisement
-
WHAT PIRLO SAID ABOUT RONALDO
Reminiscing on his Juve days as a manager, Pirlo told Radio Serie A what it was like to coachthe all-time great: "Training Ronaldo makes you understand how to become number one in the world. He’s an exemplary professional in every aspect: from how he eats, how he recovers, to how he trains.”
- Getty Images
THE BIGGER PICTURE
While Ronaldo was hailed as a hero in Turin, his second coming at Manchester United ended on a bitter note as he had to prematurely terminate his contract with the Red Devils following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he took aim at manager Erik ten Hag and also at the club's hierarchy. After the 2022 World Cup he joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr and has been in prolific form in front of goal, scoring 24 goals from 26 appearancesthis season.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
- Getty
WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo's stint at the Allianz Arena saw him score 101 goals for the Serie A giantsthrough 134 appearances. And apart from the Coppa Italia triumph he also delivered two league titles. Even at 38, he is going strong with Al-Nassr and will be back in action against Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.