“He’s your teammate, but he’s not like you” - Ex-Juventus forward opens up on sharing locker room with ‘sensitive’ Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Juventus attacker Federico Bernardeschi has fond memories of his shared time in Turin with current Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The 40-year-old Ronaldo spent three seasons at Juve after arriving from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.

Ronaldo had a successful stay with the Serie A giants, amassing 101 goals across competitions in three seasons and winning consecutive league titles, but continental glory eluded the Turin giants.

Shedding light on the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's work ethic and humility, Bernardeschi told BSMT (via One Football):

“From a locker room perspective, he’s an exceptional guy. As a player, there’s nothing more to add, he’s sensational. He’s more humble and sensitive than you might think.

“As his teammate, you must understand that he’s unique, and don’t compare what he does to what you do. If you’re aware of this, you’ll have no problem. He has his routine, he has things you need to know, be aware of. He’s your teammate, but he’s not like you.

The Italian concluded:

“If I want to go get an ice cream in Turin with Cristiano, it’s a different story. He laughs and jokes, a truly down-to-earth guy. When I came in, he always said: ‘There’s the stylish Italian’. He laughs and jokes with everyone.”

Ronaldo left Juventus in the summer of 2021 for an ill-fated one-and-a-half season second stint with Manchester United before joining Al-Nassr on a free transfer in December 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 2025-26 season by the numbers

Cristiano Ronaldo has had a decent start to his third full-season with Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, scoring five times and registering an assist in six games across competitions.

With four strikes in as many league outings, Ronaldo has propelled the Knights of Najd to the top of the Pro League standings, two points ahead of second-placed Al-Qadisiyah. In his latest outing, Ronaldo scored in a 2-0 win at defending champions Al-Ittihad at the weekend.

Ronaldo has two goal contributions in the Saudi Super Cup - assisting in the 2-1 semi-final win at Al-Ittihad and scoring in the shootout loss to Al-Ahli in the final. The defeat meant that the Portuguese remains without competitive silverware since his arrival in the Kingdom nearly three years ago, having also finished twice in the league (third last season).

Cristiano Ronaldo has also been in fine fettle in international football, scoring thrice in as many games as Portugal won their second UEFA Nations League. In the September international break, he has scored thrice in two FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers to take his tally to 141 goals in 223 games.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

Know More

Edited by Bhargav