Andrea Pirlo, new Juventus manager, is ready to step in and stop Cristiano Ronaldo from securing a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Pirlo was appointed Juventus head coach after the club sacked Maurizio Sarri following the side’s defeat to Lyon in the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16. Juventus beat Lyon 2-1 in the second leg but lost out on away goals to be knocked out of the tournament. Sarri, who joined from Chelsea last season, was immediately sacked on the aftermath of the loss and Pirlo was promoted from the under-23s to the head coach of the senior team. Amid PSG Link, Cristiano Ronaldo Named 'Most Valuable Player of The Year' of Juventus For Scoring 37 Goals in 2019-20 Season.
Ronaldo, 35, is linked with the French champions and reportedly wants to move to PSG to increase his chances of winning another Champions League trophy. Ronaldo, who moved to Juventus from Real Madrid in 2018, has enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Turin with successive Serie A titles and also a Supercoppa Italiana trophy. But has failed to dominate Europe like he did at Real Madrid where he won four Champions League trophies, including consecutive titles in his final three years at the club. Amid PSG Transfer Rumours, Cristiano Ronaldo Enjoys Short Vacation With Girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and Children (See Family Pics).
Pirlo though wants to stop his star player from the leaving the club. The 41-year-old, who had joined Juventus as their U-23 coach just two weeks ago before being promoted as the coach of the senior team, reportedly has plans for Ronaldo and wants to make him the goalscoring machine that he was during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Reports state that Pirlo wants to sign Isco from Real Madrid to play in midfield behind Ronaldo and make those eye-catching passes and through balls for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to score. Juventus’ current midfield lacks the quality of playmaking from the midfield. Miralem Pjanic, who was their chief goal creator in the last four seasons, has joined Barcelona.
Andrea Pirlo Wants to Sign Isco From Real Madrid
Andrea Pirlo: “To win the Champions League, you need a player like Isco. The midfield is the key to everything. You have Cristiano Ronaldo, but you need to find a way to ignite him.”
✍: [@Ultra_Suristic] #RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/3AoneJNUTh
— RM_DNA (@officialrm_dna) August 10, 2020
According to a report from Sport Mediaset, Madrid has offered Juventus either of Toni Kroos and Isco plus cash to sign Paulo Dybala. Real have reportedly offered $60 million plus either of Isco or Kroos to prise away Dybala from Turin. Pirlo though will have to take a tough decision with the Dybala. The Argentine came close to leaving Juventus last summer and was set to join Manchester United or Tottenham. But the transfer failed and he won the MVP award in Serie A this season.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is currently enjoying a vacation with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and four children. The family are enjoying a trip to Portofino and are living in a superyacht by the Mediterranean Sea. Ronaldo was named Juventus’ MVP on Tuesday (August 11).
He scored 37 goals this season and broke the record for most goals scored by a Juventus player in a single season. Felice Borel, who scored 36 goals in 1933-34, held the record for the last 80 years before Ronaldo broke it this season. Ronaldo scored 31 goals in the league and finished second in the Serie A golden boot race.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 11, 2020 12:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).