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#3 "Cristiano Ronaldo was a wrong purchase? Absolutely yes!"
Ronaldo has consistently copped criticism since joining Juventus in 2018. The 36-year-old claimed to be moving to Italy in search of a new challenge. Due to his own words, Ronaldo has been expected by many to deliver the elusive Champions League title to the Bianconeri.
However, he has failed to do so in his three seasons at Turin. Ronaldo and co were most recently dumped out in the Round of 16 by Porto. On the heels of Juve's elimination, Giovanni Cobolli, former president of the club, was outright in his criticism of Ronaldo.
"Cristiano Ronaldo was a wrong purchase? Absolutely yes! I said it from day one, showing appreciation for a great champion that he is, but he is too expensive and too determining," he said while on 'Radio Punto Nuovo'.
Cobolli also added that deciding whether to sell Ronaldo or not was Juventus' business, but that he was currently "worth a million per goal."
Ronaldo has managed one Player of the Year award and one Serie A top scorer award during his time with Juventus. This is in addition to five major honors as well with the Turin outfit. He has also scored 101 goals in 133 appearances for the Bianconeri, all of which indicate that he hasn't been as big a flop as some critics make him out to be.
#2 "He's always been selfish"
Ronaldo was on the receiving end of some scathing criticism once again from Antonio Cassano in 2021. Cassano's comments followed Juventus' 2-1 loss to Porto in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg. Speaking after the game, the former Italy international said:
"He (Ronaldo) scores a goal per game but he struggles with Andrea's (Pirlo) idea. He's always been a bit selfish, he doesn't give a damn about others scoring goals. He does not live for the game - he lives for the goal and in this moment the situation is getting worse."
Cassano felt Ronaldo only had eyes for scoring goals himself, but that particular ability of his had begun to drop as well. However, his criticism does seem a little shorthanded. Ronaldo has managed 22 assists during his time at Juventus. On the whole, he has 229 assists at club level, which proves that he isn't just a selfish goalscorer. However, Ronaldo has shifted his focus in recent years to goalscoring, which is a possible reason for the criticism he has received.
#1 "He is an idiot, a sick man"
The most recent quote on this list, Florentino Perez's leaked words on Ronaldo and other Real Madrid players, has not gone down well. According to audio tapes from 2012 released by Spanish outlet El Confidencial, Perez referred to Ronaldo as "crazy." He was also quoted as saying:
"This guy is an idiot, a sick man. You think this guy is normal, but he’s not normal, otherwise, he wouldn’t do all the things he does."
Perez also reportedly criticized Ronaldo and former Los Blancos manager Jose Mourinho. More audio footage from the same source noted him as saying:
"These are guys with a terrible ego, both (Ronaldo and Mourinho) spoiled, the coach and him, and they don’t see reality."
While there is still no official confirmation about the credibility of these clips, they have generated plenty of controversy. Florentino Perez has been one of the most hated presidents in club football, particularly after the Super League fiasco. These tapes will certainly not help improve that image.
