Cristiano Ronaldo’s humongous salary nets at £26.45m, almost four times more than Juventus’ second highest-earner, Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Needless to say, Juventus have benefited financially from Ronaldo’s presence with lucrative sponsorship deals with their major commercial partners but suffice it to say that the hike in commercial income and revenues from shirt sales with the branding “Ronaldo 7” on the back certainly isn’t enough to cover his wages, especially when he isn’t the only high earner in the squad.
Extortionate wages aside, there is definitely a compelling argument to be made that Juventus would have very justifiable reasons for moving Ronaldo on. At superficial face value at least, a return of 101 goals in 133 appearances is pretty decent by all standards, yet those goals have only taken Juventus so far.
The Italian juggernauts won the Serie A title in 2019 and 2020 with Ronaldo in the side, appreciatively, but the glaring fact is that they also managed to win it without him – and his massive financial package – in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, a phenomenal run of 8 years, consecutively. And with the supposed world-beater at the helm, not only did their iron grip on the Scudetto slip away this year, but they ended up in a dismal fourth place, 13 points adrift of champions Inter Milan. There’s no way Ronaldo could ever live this ignominy down.
CR7 was openly and ceremoniously brought in to help Juventus overcome their awkward, humiliating “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” stigma in their Champions League pursuits and yet they haven’t come remotely close to winning it during his time at the club. A quarter-final elimination against Ajax in 2019 was the best he could muster up for them, followed by unconvincing, humdrum back-to-back exits in the last 16 against Lyon and Porto.
Understandably Ronaldo isn’t solely to blame for those appalling results as fault should be apportioned to other players as well as those in the corridors of power at the Allianz Stadium for fallibility in decision-making, such as appointing the totally unproven Andrea Pirlo as club manager last year.
There has also been a criticism levied that teams with Ronaldo in them during his later years have been too heavily reliant upon him, almost to the point of being exclusive. Juventus and Portugal alike have squads brimming with talent, but when the sole function of the nine other outfield players is mainly to service Ronaldo and cater to his whims and fancies, their own games invariably suffer.
Former Juventus midfielder Domenico Marocchino has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the Portuguese striker “plays for himself not for the team”.
“Juventus does not have the classic striker. Ronaldo is not, he plays for himself, not for the team,” he said.
The Portuguese football superstar also scored the most goals in Serie A last season but Juventus almost finished outside the top four in Serie A. Ronaldo also won the Euro 2020 golden boot, but his country went out in the last 16. The facts are indisputable.
So there you have it, crisp and clear.
On the one hand you have Messi at 34, fighting the best he could not to leave the club he loves, yet forced to accept a new, wonderful lease of life at a new Valhalla of European football venues at the Parc des Princes so graciously handed to him. His new deal sees him eagerly supported by a troupe of some of the most talented performers on the planet, and the entire entourage of coaches and football management staff acting under the strict directives of the club’s visionary – and not to mention, most affluent – owners to give the GOAT all the support and assistance he needs to pursue the Holy Grail of club football. And, naturally as expected, he gets rewarded with the the highest salary package in the sport world. Hands down.
Then on the other hand you have Ronaldo, long known to have grown disenchanted with his latest club of choice, Juventus, and only too eager to break away to another vista – new or old, regardless. Albeit only two years older than Messi, a disadvantage of two years is a heckuva lot of precious ground to give away, particularly in that highly-intense, exacting cut-throat arena that is professional football.
As such, the offers invariably become more scarce as the popularity begins to wane, even if ever that slightly. Yet wane it inevitably will, which was why there were hardly any flutters on the radar the last two seasons for the once-radiant megastar. Until now, that is, immediately after news of Messi’s grand entry into the Parc des Princes circumambulated the globe.
The main difference here is that while Messi’s new employers are only too happy with the bumper of a financial package they’d offered him willingly, Ronaldo’s current employers can’t wait for him to leave to save on his monthly wages. Which should say a lot.
It would of course be foolhardy to say that Ronaldo has been a total failure in Italy or that he would not be successful again to a certain measure – unlike when he was at his peak – at another super club before he finally calls it a day, given his scoring rate and relentless pursuit of excellence dictated by an ego that would never give in.
But considering the huge financial outlay that would be involved for a 38-year-old going on 37 to continue pursuing top continental honors at the highest levels, it would be fair to conclude that Ronaldo’s Juventus project has fallen conspicuously short. And it would certainly not get any easier either at another club, superpower or otherwise.
The options are clearly fast running out for CR7.