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Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has claimed that Juventus lost their "DNA" when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid back in 2018.
Buffon also stated that Juventus had a great opportunity to win the Champions League when Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in 2018. However, the Old Lady lost to AFC Ajax in the quarterfinals. The 43-year-old shot-stopper believes Juventus had lost their signature club DNA despite the side performing well.
Speaking to TUDN.com (via the Daily Mail), Buffon said:
"Juventus had the chance to win the Champions League the first year he arrived, which was the year I was at Paris Saint-Germain, and I couldn't figure out what happened. When I returned, I worked with CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) for two years and we did well together, but I think Juventus lost that DNA of being a team."
Buffon said Juventus had reached the Champions League final because they functioned as a single unit. The same could not be said anymore after Ronaldo's arrival. The Parma goalkeeper added:
"We reached the Champions League final in 2017 because we were a side full of experience, but above all we were a single unit and there was this competition for places within the group that was very strong. We lost that with Ronaldo."
Juventus reached the Champions League final in 2017 before eventually losing out on the title to Real Madrid in a 4-1 defeat. Since then, however, the club has undergone a tumultuous few years. Multiple managerial changes and the failure to win a Serie A title have severely impacted Juventus' standing as a major European club.
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018 for a fee of €117 million. His time in Turin resulted in two Serie A titles and a Copa Italia. However, the Old Lady did not come close to winning the Champions League despite making a marquee signing in the five-time Ballon d'Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo spent three seasons with Juventus but the Old Lady never got past the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Serie A giants were knocked out at the Round of 16 stage in 2020 and 2021 by Lyon and FC Porto respectively.
In 134 appearances for Juventus, the 36-year-old forward scored 101 goals in the three seasons he spent in Turin.
Cristiano Ronaldo has continued his goalscoring in England
Ronaldo left Juventus in the summer of 2021 to rejoin Manchester United. The 36-year-old forward has scored 13 goals in 18 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.
The former Real Madrid superstar continues to perform at the highest level in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored six goals in just five group matches this season. His tally includes a brace against Atalanta in Italy.
The 36-year-old forward is currently Manchester United's leading goalscorer this season.
