Leonardo Bonucci reveals he has great admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo

Modified Feb 19, 2019 11:04 GMT

Bonucci is the backbone of the Juventus defence

What's the story?

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, in an exclusive interview with AS, has opened up on various topics before the first leg clash in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. He also praised Cristiano Ronaldo for his vigorous training and dedication for the game.

In case you didn't know...

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus last summer after guiding Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles. The forward has become the most important part of the Juventus squad since joining them.

The 33-year-old has scored staggering 19 goals and provided eight assists in 24 rounds of the Serie A. With the arrival of the Portuguese, Juventus are having the best season in recent years as they are still unbeaten in the league.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was brought in by the Italian giants with UCL as their main target.

The heart of the matter

The Italian centre-back explained what Cristiano Ronaldo brings to the club and said:

His intensity and his straightforward manner of playing. He's the first one to support the rest of the team with positive words. His manner of training is incredible, every day after training you'll find him doing extra session in the club gymnasium.

There are times when his levels of stamina are simply staggering. He's a machine and I have great admiration for him.

Bonucci also revealed his favorite for the Champions League this season and added:

Real Madrid will always be contenders but there are four or five sides who are in with a shout and I'd never underestimate the likes of Bayern Munich.