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Former Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic has responded to fans comparing his impact to Cristiano Ronaldo's at the Allianz Stadium.
A section of Juventus fans claimed that the club has not yet found a player to replace the 36-year-old former Croatian striker since he left. They also believe that Mandzukic and Carlos Tevez are more loved and respected by the fans of the Italian club than Ronaldo.
However, the former Croatian striker does not believe that the Bianconeri faithful will ever compare the impact of two of their former players who gave everything on the pitch for the club. Mandukic also shared his admiration towards the Juve fans for remembering his contribution and placing him alongside the many legends who have played for the Italian club.
Quizzed over why he and Tevez are more respected than Ronaldo, the striker said via Football Italia:
“I don’t know if that’s true, but I am grateful to all those who remember me with affection.''
The former Croatian international said that Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time in the football world and his contribution to Juventus was incredible. He added:
“I don’t think it depends on Cristiano, one of the best players of all time who did great things at Juventus. I imagine fans appreciated the desire and spirit Tevez and I had. We brought them to the pitch and we won.”
Mandzukic has been one of the most influential players for Juventus during his time at the club. The Croatian arrived in Italy after his successful stints at Dynamo Zagreb, Bayern Munich, and Atletico Madrid. Juventus signed Mandzukic on a two-year deal worth £19 million from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in 2015.
He has scored 44 goals and provided 18 assists in 162 appearances for the Italian side in four seasons. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived at the Allianz Stadium in 2018 on a four-year deal worth £105 million, netted 101 goals and assisted 22 more in just 134 appearances across different tournaments.
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo is most likely to start in their Premier League clash against Aston Villa
Cristiano Ronaldo is most likely to start in Manchester United's Premier League clash against Aston Villa on Sunday (6 November). The Portuguese striker has become a regular figure in Erik ten Hag's starting XI since the injury to in-form player Anthony Martial.
The 37-year-old looks more settled with the Dutchman's style of play at Old Trafford after a shaky start to the 2022-23 season. Ronaldo, who was United's highest goalscorer last season with 24 goals, has only managed to score three this season. He has also gotten involved in heated arguments with Ten Hag after getting benched earlier this season but the Portuguese striker is finally beginning to find his place in the team more regularly.
Manchester United have won three of their last five Premier League games and will look to continue their five-game defeatless streak as they face Aston Villa on Sunday (6 November) at Villa Park. With the 2022 Qatar World Cup around the corner, Ronaldo will look to find his goal-scoring form again, hoping to start in almost every game before the summit, including the game against Villa on Sunday.
