After months of speculations, Cristiano Ronaldo’s fate was finally revealed on Friday. The superstar ended up completing a sensational return to Manchester United where he enjoyed a splendid stint between 2003 and 2009.
It was painfully obvious that the Portuguese was no longer cherishing his time at Juventus, as he looked for an immediate way out. Manchester City were reportedly close to his signature on Thursday, but a comeback to Old Trafford felt much more sensible.
Milan’s legendary manager, Arrigo Sacchi, admitted that Serie A has lost its best individual player. However, the Bianconeri can still benefit from the situation.
“I’m happy because Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t join Pep Guardiola’s team. They play total football there and Ronaldo is not a total football player, even though he is always a phenomenon,” said the retired tactician in an interview with la Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Serie A lost a great soloist, perhaps the best. But football is a sport that is played with eleven, the collective counts. The individual cannot win if he does not have the help of others.
“Ronaldo did well at Juve, he scored a lot. When he sees the goal, he is a phenomenon. He plays for that. If he gets an opportunity, he scores two goals. But he is a player for teams that do not bet on a collective maneuver.”
The former Italy coach believes that Juve’s management must work on enhancing the squad in the final few days of the summer transfer market, but he also feels that the collective can do the difference for Max Allegri this season.
“It is a painful transfer and the management and the coach will have to work hard to ensure that the mark does not remain.
“Without Ronaldo, the others will have to become even more of a group. They will have greater responsibilities. Nobody will be able to say anymore ‘Ronaldo will take care of it!’. Oh no, Ronaldo is gone.
“Now the others have to take charge of the game. And it will be good for Juventus because they have the possibility of becoming a true collective in which individuals exalt themselves. Only through this fundamental step they can become a dominant force on the European scene,” concluded Sacchi.
It remains to be seen if the likes of Paulo Dybala and Federico Chiesa will be able to prove themselves further following the departure of their former teammate.
