Andrea Agnelli has defended Juventus’ signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that CR7’s arrival in Serie A has benefited other clubs as well.
Juve paid £100 million to Real Madrid for Ronaldo in the hopes that the Portuguese can help the club win a European trophy for the first time since 1995.
Juve’s plans haven’t worked out, with the club failing to advance past the Champions League quarterfinals since 2018.
In Juve’s shock Champions League defeat to Porto, Ronaldo was unusually quiet, prompting speculation that the Portuguese is holding back the rest of the team.
However, the Juventus chairman has defended the club’s decision to sign Ronaldo, as well as coach Andrea Pirlo, who is under fire.
“Wrong to take Ronaldo?” he told Corriere dello Sport. “In no way.”
“I would do it again tomorrow. And Pirlo too. Stability allows us to follow the path of growth by investing in young players and coaches even at their first experience.”
Agnelli added: “We brought Cristiano to Italy and his presence alone has guaranteed the other clubs €4 million at the box office.”
“We wish to continue importing other champions with the benefits for all levels of football, from the youngsters to the amateurs.”
