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Former Juventus assistant coach Alparslan Erdem has revealed that Andrea Pirlo preferred Alvaro Morata over Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the attack. He claims that the Portugal superstar and Paulo Dybala were not pressing the opponents, and the manager hated it.
Speaking to BILD, Erdem said that Pirlo could not bench Ronaldo and was forced to play with the former Real Madrid forward in his 4-4-2. He added that Morata was perfect for the system, hinting that the failure to get the best out of the players was the key reason for his sacking and said (via OJogo):
"We did an analysis with some data and one thing was clear, he [Pirlo] didn't like Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo didn't suit his style of play at all. He wanted to press high and the data showed that Cristiano Ronaldo was the worst in sprints. He didn't want it, but there was nothing he could do. It was just Cristiano Ronaldo. [Pirlo] liked Alvaro Morata much more, who was perfect for his system in '4-4-2'. His system didn't work with Ronaldo, but he couldn't do anything against him."
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Max Allegri, who replaced Pirlo as the Juventus manager, took a cheeky dig at Ronaldo while praising his players and said (via Mirror):
“I think that personal targets have been put aside and there is more focus on the team. We have been together for six or seven months now. We are knowing each other a little more, we feel more like a team.”
Ronaldo left the club in 2021, three years after moving from Real Madrid, and rejoined Manchester United. He was close to joining Manchester City, but the Red Devils managed to seal an agreement in the final hour.
Cristiano Ronaldo admitted he was close to joining Manchester City
Cristiano Ronaldo told Piers Morgan that he was close to joining Manchester City before Sir Alex Ferguson called him. He added the decision was made as soon as he got the call and made the return to Manchester United. He said (via ESPN)
"Well, honestly, it was close... It's something they spoke [about] a lot and [Manchester City manager Pep] Guardiola said two weeks ago, I guess, that they tried hard to have me. But as you know, as my history [was] in Manchester United, your heart, your feeling... make the difference. And of course, as well, Sir Alex Ferguson. I was surprised... But it was a conscious decision. Because the heart speaks, speaking loud in that moment."
Ronaldo left Manchester United in November 2022 after his contract was terminated.
