When Cristiano Ronaldo retires from soccer, he will be remembered as a player who did everything he possibly could to remain the most — or 2nd most, at the very least — outstanding and valuable player in the world.
Beyond the regimented diet and training routine, this is a man who reinvented his game to prolong his dominance at Real Madrid. His neurotic dedication has resulted in countless individual accolades, trophies, and a European Championship with Portugal in 2016 that still belies all logic.
His recent move to Juventus is hard to believe, too. The rumors just sounded a bit too fanciful, similar to the annual rumblings of his alleged return to Manchester United. Monday’s somewhat muted unveiling and press conference didn’t seem real, either. Even when he was answering questions from the Italian press, I was still waiting for a statement to come from Ronaldo’s team about a restructured contract with Real that would take me out of this fantasyland.
But alas, it’s official. Ronaldo wanted to prove he could still tear it up in an elite European league — “… usually players of my age go to Qatar or China,” he claims. He’s right, but this move doesn’t really add anything to his legacy, either. For a man who has always strived for more, many of the things he can potentially accomplish at Juventus seem minor compared to what he has done at Madrid.
Looking from the outside, the move makes more sense for the two clubs than it does for the player. If Real was ever going to get rid of Ronaldo, this summer was the perfect opportunity. It made roughly $100 million and got $55 million off its wage bill for selling a 33 year old that will turn 34 in February. The club hasn’t made a Galacticos-esque signing since snagging Gareth Bale five seasons ago. Lastly, it doesn’t want to stumble into a situation where its star players collectively hit the inevitable dip in form that comes at the tail-end of a career (Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, and Keylor Navas are all 30 or older; Bale just turned 29, but his injury history adds extra wear-and-tear).
The transaction was certainly riskier for Juventus as it’s now taking a gamble with Financial Fair Play. In addition to the lofty transfer fee, Juventus is giving Ronaldo roughly $30 million a year over four years, a spike compared to his Madrid wages that puts him in the Neymar and Messi stratosphere. Throw in taxes, and the total cost of the deal is $340 million. That type of hit would put any club in the red, even one that has earned a profit for years like Juventus. Optimally, the club won’t have sell any of its stars — save for Gonzalo Higuain, who probably doesn’t have a solid role in the starting XI amid Ronaldo’s arrival. High-earning veterans like Gianluigi Buffon, Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner are all gone now, too, which will tip the wage balance in Juve’s favor.
Ultimately, Ronaldo’s marketability is the game-changer here. Regardless of how he plays, Ronaldo’s celebrity could catapult Juventus to the upper echelon of the sport’s commercial earners, alongside Manchester United, Real, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It might not take long, either. Juve reportedly made around $60 million in 24 hours off Ronaldo jersey sales, already two years worth of wages.
Maybe the commercial windfall is part of Ronaldo’s latest, and possibly final, mission. There’s not much left for him to accomplish on the field. Similarly, Juventus doesn’t need Ronaldo to win any domestic titles; it’s seven consecutive Serie A titles prove that. The Portuguese doesn’t have to do much adjusting to fit into the setup, either. Juve possesses one of the most versatile squads in the world. Mario Mandzukic, Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa can play several roles in varying formations. Ronaldo will play as a striker or a winger with license to roam in and around the 18-yard box. Striker is a more likely option, with Mandzukic doing the legwork and hold-up play on the left and Dybala pulling the strings behind Ronaldo. Costa or Cuadrado are dangerous options on the right wing who could provide consistent service to Ronaldo in the box.
No matter how Juve sets up, Ronaldo is bound to score a bunch of goals. Realistically, a Champions League title is the best thing Ronaldo could deliver to Juve on the field. The Italian giant has made the final in two of the past four seasons, and the greatest player in the competition’s history could help take Juve over the top. For a guy who has raked in Champions League trophies like leaves in the middle of autumn, winning another one isn’t all that groundbreaking, especially compared to the financial impact he could have at the club.
Ronaldo says he wants to make his mark on the history of Juventus. I struggle to see how that’s going to happen. Ronaldo possesses extremely high standards when it comes to team and individual success. He desires titles and he wants to be the main one responsible for earning them, like he was at Real Madrid and — to a lesser degree — Manchester United. Juventus don’t need Ronaldo to achieve anything it hasn’t won without him.
So is Ronaldo settling? I don’t think so. Juventus was the only realistic option if he wanted to leave Madrid. He will still be playing elite soccer in an elite league. It’s also a place where he feels wanted, unlike during his final seasons in Spain under Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. However, when Ronaldo decides to hang up his cleats, whether it be in four years or longer, his tenure at Juve will probably be a small chapter in an otherwise remarkable story.