The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Juventus

  • Ronaldo scores 8 minutes into Juventus debut

    Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday scored a debut goal at Juventus.

    It took eight minutes for the former Real Madrid star to score his first ever Juventus goal

    Ronaldo started his life at Juventus with a bang by netting the opener against their U19 side in a friendly on Sunday.

    Going into the match Juventus fans were all smiles and dancing and were not disappointed as the fans saw what they wanted; Ronaldo’ debut goal.

    Paulo Dybala stole some of Ronaldo’s thunder by adding a quick fire brace before half-time as Juventus went into the break in complete control.

  • Ronaldo off to China on CR7 tour

     

    Juventus new signing Cristiano Ronaldo has headed for China in style to observe his Annual CR7 tour. The Portugal international whose breath taking strikes against Spain at the just ended World cup in Russia remains a talking point, has made a frequent event of his CR7 tour in recent years, travelling to Asisa to meet his global fans and further expand his brand.

    The £100million man took to social media on Wednesday, just a few days after completing his move to Seria A side Juve, to alert his Chinese fans that he is on his way.

    Posing with his entourage in front of a plush, Nike-branded jet, Ronaldo was in high spirits while preparing for yet another adventure.

    The 33-year-old is set to be in for a hectic summer with sponsorship commitments before finally getting down to some pre-season training with his new club.

    Ronaldo is likely to miss Juventus’ upcoming pre-season tour of America, and so avoid a very early reunion with Real Madrid who will face the Old Lady at the FedEx Field stadium in Maryland.

    The forward had to cut short a family holiday to Greece, which he had been taking following Portugal’s exit from the World Cup, in order to seal his transfer.

    It is unknown how long the player and his party will be spending in China, though Ronaldo is likely to visit several occasions for public visits and Nike-organised events.

    Once his heavy summer dies down, Ronaldo is in line to make his first appearance in the famous black and white stripes of Juventus on the first weekend of the Serie season.

    The fixtures for the Italian top flight are to be announced on Friday, where Ronaldo will learn who are set to be his first opponents.

     

     

     

     

  • Breaking: Ronaldo officially unveiled as Juventus player

    Cristiano Ronaldo has been unveiled by the Serie A club on Monday evening after passing a medical earlier in the day.

    The 33-year-old insisted he remains as ambitious as ever after completing his move to Juventus from Real Madrid.

    “The nine years at Real Madrid were wonderful, but it’s a brand new step in my life, so I thank all the supporters with my heart,” Ronaldo said at a press conference. “But I have to focus on this next step. I’m looking forward to playing. I’m very motivated, concentrated and focused on that.”

    “I’m going to try to show that I am a top player, as usual. I’m going to work hard in training … I am very ambitious and I like challenges. I don’t like to stay in my comfort zone. After the experiences in Manchester and in Madrid, I’d like to mark the history of Juventus.”

    Ronaldo revealed he had chosen to join Juventus rather than head for one last big pay day in the Middle or Far East. “I’m here because it’s a brand new challenge for my career,” he said.

    “It’s a big club and usually players of my age go to Qatar or to China, with all due respect, so coming to such an important and outstanding club at this point in my career makes me very happy. That’s why I’m very grateful to Juventus for this opportunity.”

    “[Juventus] have won domestic cups and Serie A titles, and they were in the final of the Champions League, so I am so proud to be here, I am so proud that they were interested in me,” Ronaldo added.

    “I hope I can give the best response on the field during matches, that’s what I can do. I hope I can take them to an even higher level.”

  • Gentleman Cuadrado may opt for Jersey No.49

     

    Columbia international and Juventus forward Juan Cuadrado is not one to lose sleep over a situation he cannot change.

    The 30 year old just back from national assignment where he joined the Columbia team in the battle for honour at the just concluded World cup in Russia was still in Russia when the news of Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus seized the headlines across the globe.

    Ronaldo who was equally at the world cup was however not just headed for Juventus for a whooping £100m but billed to take his customary jersey number 7 which prior to the transfer was the jersey number for Cualdrado.

    While some players could have made an issue out of the situation, Cauldrado, is not only giving up the number seven shirt, but has even conducted his own pool among fans to suggest his new Jersey number.

    The poll according to Mailonline indicates that he is likely to wear jersey No 49 when the new season begins.  A breakdown of the poll indicates that 34% voted for No 49, 27% voted for No. 21, 21% for jersey No 10 while 18% wants to see him on Jersey No.16.

    Cuadrado brought some fun to an awkward situation after being forced into giving up his No 7 shirt. He let fans on Twitter pick which number he should take instead, giving them four options.

    Cuadrado initially took to twitter to tell fans he had given his jersey to Ronaldo, folliowing the £100m deal to bring the Portuguese star from Real Madrid.

    The 30-year-old held up the Ronaldo No 7 shirt and said: ‘More blessed is to give than to receive; @cristiano many blessings in this new adventure.’

    The poll received over 150,000 votes and the winning number was 49 with 34 per cent of the vote, but Cuadrado is yet to confirm which new number he will take.

     

     

     

     

  • Juventus fans rush for CR7 Jersey ahead unveiling

     

    Juventus supporters have declared operation acquire a CR7 jersey ahead of the Monday’s unveiling of former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Delighted fans were seen posing outside Juventus’ official club store on Wednesday with ‘Ronaldo 7’ shirts.

    Ronaldo, who originally wore the No 9 shirt at Real Madrid before taking the No 7 following Raul’s departure in 2010, would have demanded the shirt number to continue his CR7 brand.

    Juan Cuadrado is without a shirt number following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Juventus. The Colombia star, who originally joined the club on loan from Chelsea in 2015, originally wore the No 16 before switching to No 7 in 2016.

    The former Manchester United star has clothing ranges and hotels in Lisbon and Madeira under CR7 branding.

    Juventus announced the stunning £100million deal for Ronaldo with the Portugal captain in his usual celebration stance with ‘Cristiano’ accompanying the image.

    However, they used the No 7 in his name to confirm his new shirt number.

    Ronaldo’s astonishing £100m transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus will lead to a £10.6m payday for his agent, the Serie A club have confirmed.

    Jorge Mendes made a proposal to Juve when selling them full back Joao Cancelo from Valencia last month – and the club subsequently made a £88m offer to Real.

    In addition to the agent’s fee, Ronaldo’s former clubs Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United will share a total of £4.4m, making the deal worth more than £100m.

    Sponsors Fiat agreed to shoulder the burden of his £26.6m-a-year wages, helping to ease money fears but the total cost to club will be £310m over four years.

    Ronaldo met club president Andrea Agnelli on Tuesday afternoon in a hotel in Greece before agreeing the four-year deal worth £500,000 a week. He is expected to be officially unveiled on Monday.

    A member the left-wing union that represents hundreds of thousands of Italian employees Sindacale di Base queried the rationale behind paying millions to one man when many earn take home that can hardly get to the middle of the month.

    “Is this fair? Is it normal for one person to earn millions, while thousands of families can’t even get to the middle of the month?” he asked

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Madrid confirms Ronaldo’s £88m move to Juve

     

    Cristiano Ronaldo has made an astonishing £88m move to Juventus after Real Madrid granted him permission to leave Santiago Bernabeu.

    Ronaldo met Juventus club president Andrea Agnelli on Tuesday afternoon in a hotel in Greece before agreeing an estimated £500,000-a-week deal

    It is believed that the transfer was finalised at the meeting with Ronaldo surrounded by his girlfriend and family, who is currently on holiday with him.

    Real Madrid confirmed the transfer late on Tuesday afternoon.

    In a statement, the club admitted that they had granted Ronaldo with his wish to leave the club.

    It read: ‘Today, Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to a player who has proved to be the best in the world and who has marked one of the brightest times in the history of our club and world football.’

    Ronaldo won four Champions League titles during his nine-year stay at Real Madrid.

    ‘Beyond the conquered titles, the trophies achieved and the triumphs achieved in the playing fields during these nine years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been an example of dedication, work, responsibility, talent and improvement,’ the statement added.

    Ronaldo thanked Real Madrid for making his time at the club ‘possibly the happiest of my life’, but added that he felt it was the right decision to move on.

    He said: ‘I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I feel that way and I ask everyone, and especially our followers, to please understand me.’

    Ronaldo leaves a legacy behind at Real Madrid littered with smashed records and trophies.

    He is the Spanish club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions and won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with them.

    ‘For Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo will always be one of its greatest symbols and a unique reference for the generations to come,’ Real Madrid’s statement added.

    ‘Real Madrid will always be his home’.

    Ronaldo’s first game for Juventus could come against his former club when the two meet in the International Champions Cup. The two play each other on August 4 at the FedEx Field in Washington.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Real Madrid denies 272m Euros Mbappe deal

    European champions Real Madrid have denied reports of a world-record 272 million Euros (316 million dollars) deal with Paris Saint-Germain to sign forward Kylian Mbappe.

    Mbappe has been one of the standout performers for France at the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

    He joined PSG in 2017, on an initial loan deal that will become permanent this summer in a transfer that will see him become the second most expensive player in history.

    However, Madrid has been closely linked with the 19-year-old attacker.

    It has been claimed in France that he is on his way to the Spanish capital this summer to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who is reportedly set to join Juventus after his shock revelation that he wants to leave.

    Read Also: Marco Asensio ,Dua Lipa on the Podium!

    The Spanish club, however, insisted on Wednesday that no such deal was in place, though, said the reports were simply false.

    “Given the information published in the last few hours referring to an alleged agreement between Real Madrid and PSG for player Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid says they are flatly false,” a statement on the club’s website read.

    “Real Madrid has not made any offers to PSG or the player and regrets the dissemination of this type of information that is not contrasted with the parties.”

    Madrid has been closely monitoring Mbappe since his days at Monaco and the principality club’s vice-president had said they made an offer worth 180 million Euros only to be knocked back as he opted to return to Boyhood Club PSG.

    Mbappe scored 21 times in 44 games for the French club in his first season and had played a key role for the national team at the World Cup, having netted three times in four games.

    The statement comes just a day after the Champions League holders made an announcement to clarify that talk of another world record deal with PSG had been struck.

    This was after it was reported that they were set to sign Neymar this summer for 310 million Euros (360 million dollars).

    NAN also reports that just like Mbappe, the Brazilian is continually being linked to the Santiago Bernabeu outfit since arriving at the Parc des Princes team.

    NAN

  • Buffon gets emotional farewell after 17years @Juve

    There were emotional scenes in Turin on Saturday as Gianluigi Buffon played his final game for Juventus after 17 years with the Italian champions.

    Buffon announced this week that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season – although he would not retire from football, as was expected.

    The home game at Juventus Stadium against Hellas Verona was his final match for the Serie A winners, and there were tears from both player and fans before the game, and then when he was subbed off to a standing ovation after 64 minutes.

    Before the game, Buffon went the edge of the stands to meet fans, exchanging hugs, handshakes and kisses with the supporters who have idolised him ever since he arrived at Juventus in 2001. One child fan was seen in floods of tears as he met his hero.

    There were plenty of banners in the crowd, one of which called Buffon an ‘immortal hero’, while another declared the long-time Italy and Juventus No1 to be holy. Another, which contained a picture of a younger Buffon earlier in his career at Juve, read ‘Ciao Gigi! You’re my wonderwall’. One banner simply called Buffon ‘the legend’.

    All the banners were topped just before kick-off when a gigantic tifo of Buffon’s face and upper body, holding a shield baring the Italian flag, was unveiled in the stands.

    Buffon had looked overwhelmed in the warm-up, appearing to wipe tears away from his eyes as he clapped and gave his thumbs up to the crowd.

    Before the game, Buffon – wearing the captain’s armband – led Juve out accompanied by his three sons, Louis, David, and baby Leopoldo. Buffon’s wife Ilaria D’Amico was also there to offer support, while his three children all wore replica Juventus kits

    Buffon kept a clean sheet in his final Juventus game before being substituted on 64 minutes with the score at 2-0 in order to receive the adulation from the crowd. He hugged every outfield player and manager Massimiliano Allegri before taking his place on the bench as third choice stopper Carlo Pinsoglio came on.

    The end of Buffon’s time at Juventus has not been without controversy, after he was sent off in their Champions League quarter final defeat to Real Madrid. Buffon subsequently accused referee Michael Oliver of having a ‘rubbish bin for a heart’, among other insults, and has refused to apologise even after it emerged the official had received death threats.

     

     

     

     

  • Wenger urges successor to ‘respect’ Arsenal values

    Arsene Wenger used his farewell news conference as Arsenal manager on Thursday to urge his successor to “respect the values of the club”.

    The Frenchman departs after a final game at Huddersfield Town on Sunday and was in reflective mood as he contemplated his 22 years in charge.

    Speculation is intensifying over who his successor will be with British media reporting that Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and former Arsenal captains Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira among leading contenders.

    Asked for his advice to the new man, Wenger said: “Respect the values of the club. I would like him to bring his own ideas.

    “It’s a chance for the players to see something different. But, on the other hand, I will say respect what has been built here.”

    Read Also: Who succeeds Arsene Wenger? Vieira leads contenders

    In spite of his many achievements, Wenger will depart on a low with Arsenal losing a seventh consecutive away game on Wednesday, 3-1 at Leicester City

    It was their worst run in more than half-a-century.

    On Sunday, Arsenal are looking to end their embarrassing record of being the only side in the top four tiers of English football not to pick up an away point this year.

    Wenger, however, still believes the club is in good shape for his successor.

    “The players’ attitude was great last night,” said Wenger. “They were fantastic. There is a special bond in this team.

    “There is something waiting to come out that is special. Hopefully that will come out next season.”

    Wenger said he is unsure about his immediate plans, but has been linked with a position as general manager at Paris St Germain (PSG).

    “When you stay for such a long period, you question if it is time to go now or not,” he said.

    “We live in a society where people want big change always, you know. I don’t know what I will do. Maybe go to Russia.

    “I have some work to do in France (next week) on Monday, Tuesday. On Thursday, I will come back and clear my office. After that, I don’t know.”

    Wenger also used the occasion to look back, saying that while he considered his 2004 ‘Invincibles’ team the best of his reign, he was at his most productive between 2006-2015.

    The ‘Invincibles’ went through the 2004-2005 season unbeaten.

    NAN

  • FIFA meets with top clubs over $25bn investors offer

    The ruling body FIFA has met with seven leading clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester United to discuss a 25-billion dollar offer from investors for a revamped Club World Cup and a new global Nations League, the New York Times reported.

    The paper said that officials from Real, United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus Turin were invited to FIFA’s Swiss headquarters on Wednesday over the controversial issue.

    The paper quoted FIFA as saying that “today’s meeting allowed us to observe a real interest for a complete reform of the Club World Cup and the development of a new model of competition that would benefit the entire football community around the world.”

    Read Also: Budweiser kicks off ‘Light Up The Fifa World Cup’ global campaign

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed the offer from yet to be identified investors to the governing body’s council two months ago.

    The investors are allegedly ready to dish out a maximum 25 billion euros for the two competitions between 2021 and 2033.

    The proposal has been met with stiff resistance from various sides including Europe’s UEFA and club organizations.

    Critics fear an even more blown up match calendar and rich clubs becoming even richer.

    NAN