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Turkey U19's manager Soykan Basar has boldly claimed that Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz is already superior to Cristiano Ronaldo in one key area.
Yildiz, 18, joined Juventus' youth team in the summer of 2022 after spending a decade in Bayern Munich's academy. He has broken into Juventus' first team this season, playing 36 minutes of first-team football across five Serie A games.
Yildiz recently starred for Turkey in their 3-2 international friendly win against Germany on 18 November, scoring with an unstoppable right-footed shot in first-half stoppage time. He proceeded to celebrate by sticking his tongue out — a celebration associated with Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero.
Amidst the recent hype, Basar told Turkish outlet A Spor, via Tuttosport (h/t noticiasaominuto.com):
"We have followed Kenan Yildiz since he was 12-13 years old. Germany also wanted him, but he made us a promise and chose Turkey two years ago, many big clubs were interested in him. Yildiz has more talent than Cristiano Ronaldo. His technique with the ball [at his] foot is superior to that of the Portuguese player."
It seems that Basar is referring to the teenage forward's dribbling ability and ball control. The Regensburg-born player apparently had the chance to choose the German national team but opted for Turkey instead.
Yildiz has made two appearances for Turkey's senior team so far, scoring once. He made his debut as a late second-half substitute in his team's 1-0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers win against Croatia last month.
Yildiz is expected to feature more prominently for the Old Lady as the season goes on — the team where Cristiano Ronaldo led the line for three years.
A brief look at Cristiano Ronaldo's record at Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed headlines in the summer of 2018 after swapping Real Madrid for Juventus in a €117 million deal.
The Portuguese superstar couldn't match the prowess that he displayed during nine sensational years at Real Madrid. But he arguably did enough to be considered as a modern-day Juventus icon.
Ronaldo bagged 101 goals and 22 assists in 134 games across competitions for Juventus during the span of three years. While the numbers are a testament to his pedigree in front of goal, they also indicate his elite fitness levels despite being in his 30s.
Cristiano Ronaldo won two Serie A titles during his time in Turin along with three other domestic cups. But he failed to help them win their first European trophy since 1999, when they won the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, however, did his part, scoring seven times in as many Champions League knockout games for Juve. The 38-year-old is currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
