Juventus salvaged their league campaign on the final day of the season as they booked a place in the next season’s Champions League after Napoli dropped points against Verona. Andrea Pirlo’s future was the big question ahead of the game, but the attention was soon turned to Cristiano Ronaldo and his continuity in Turin as the five-time Ballon d’Or was demoted to the bench in a must-win encounter. As Juventus Booked Champions League 2021-22 Place, Cristiano Ronaldo Amid Transfer Rumours Says, 'Fino Alla Fine'.

Cristiano Ronaldo finished the season as the leading scorer in Serie A, becoming the only person in history to achieve the feat in the top divisions of Italy, Spain and England. And with Juventus meeting to win their final game to keep European hopes alive, it was certain that Andrea Pirlo will count on his star for goals but the 36-year-old was left out of the starting XI and wasn’t called upon for the entirety of the game.

It is understood that the five-time Ballon d’Or had no injury issues ahead of the match but his absence from the playing XI was a rather tactical decision taken by manager Andrea Pirlo and Juventus director Fabio Paratici. This was only the fifth time in three seasons that the 36-year-old had started on the bench for the Italians.

Apart from being relegated to an unused substitute against Bologna, the former Real Madrid star was also replaced against champions Inter Milan last week. The Portuguese forward’s diminishing role a Juventus in recent weeks have raised a lot of doubts about his future at the club with reports of him returning to one of his former club or Paris becoming more prominent.

In spite of the unavailability of their top scorer, Juventus have fared well in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, managing to beat Bologna with ease on the final day to book a place in Europe’s elite competition while also being able to secure a win over Inter Milan in the final minutes despite playing with 10 men.

The recent squad selection is probably an example that the Bianconeri are preparing for life after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner if a transfer does happen and these performances will fill Juventus hierarchy with optimism that the club can still be able to compete at the highest level without Cristiano Ronaldo if necessary.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2021 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).