Juventus made a bold move in replacing Maurizio Sarri with the inexperienced Pirlo following a dismal Champions League campaign, which ended in a shock last-16 exit to Lyon.
The 41-year-old, who initially agreed to take charge of the U-23 team instead, has been thrown into the deep end. To succeed, he must have all his aces ready. This is where a certain Ronaldo comes into play.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is, without a doubt, Pirlo’s most important asset. If the Italian has any chance of becoming a success story in the Turin dugout, he’ll need Cristiano at his sublime best.
Although Ronaldo has had to cope with his fair share of criticism since Juventus’ Champions League exit. There have even been rumors of the club trying to offload him, which his entourage sternly denied.
This allegedly led Pirlo to make a phone call to Ronaldo to assure him over his role and how he plans to use him for next season.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pirlo plans to relive the 35-year-old of defensive duties and give him more freedom in attack. Considering he scored 37 goals in 46 games last season, one can only imagine what may lie ahead next season should this report be correct.
Juventus are also searching for a new striker this summer as Gonzalo Higuain’s best days are behind him. Alexandre Lacazette, Arkadiusz Milik, and Edin Dzeko are the reported favorites.
