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Sweden great, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, sparked off a controversy as he criticised Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking move to Serie A giants Juventus. He claimed that the Portuguese talisman should lead a second division side towards glory if he truly fancied a challenge.
According to a translation of Brazilian newspaper Voetbal Nieuws, as quoted by Spanish media outlet AS, Zlatan said,
“Cristiano talks about new challenges but then calls moving to a club where winning Serie A is normal a challenge.
He should try to make a second division side champions and take them to the very top. Moving to Juventus is definitely not a challenge.”
Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a glittering career with many clubs, and the outspoken Swede is not afraid to confront anyone, not even Cristiano Ronaldo. He has won league titles with 5 major European giants, and enjoyed the challenge in various clubs throughout his career.
On the other hand, Cristiano enjoyed 9 hugely successful seasons with Real Madrid in Spain, and his move towards Juventus caused a huge uproar on the internet. In the last six months or so, he has quickly settled in Turin, and has proven to be the Old Lady's talisman, as they are unbeaten so far in the Serie A.
We can never know the real reason for Cristiano Ronaldo's departure for sure, but the mercurial talisman is the greatest goal-scorer of all time for Real Madrid, and he insisted that he was looking for a challenge at a different environment in an interview.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is not getting any younger, but he still remains one of the most mercurial goalscorers on the pitch. As evident throughout the last 12 years, Cristiano can change the tie within a blink of an eye and have an immense impact with his team.
For professional players or in the hierarchy of society, one needs to overcome a challenge to prove their worth and ability against superior opponents. It is crucial step of anyone's career to get into the next level or next step, and it is safe to say that an extraterrestrial player like Cristiano Ronaldo certainly relishes the obstacles present in new challenges.
Juventus have won the Italian top-flight for the past 7 seasons, and are 9 points clear at the top in this current 2018-19 season, with Ronaldo being the highest goalscorer in the Serie A with 14 goals, and he has also managed to provide 5 assists in 19 appearances for them.
But Juventus fumbled while chasing their European dream at the UEFA Champions League final to Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons respectively. In their quest for European glory, it seemed that no matter how good they were, they choked at the crunch moments, and eventually lost their hopes of securing a Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo may find it extremely challenging to chase the European dream of Juventus, as the offensive support system in Juventus is nowhere near his former clubs. Juventus is tactically a defensive team, and Cristiano's goal-scoring numbers will also decrease, which will make his quest for the sixth Ballon d'Or a bit more difficult.
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo is an obvious boost for Juventus, as Cristiano is the highest scorer in UEFA Champions League history. He has been miles ahead of the rest, and made it his competition as he helped Real Madrid win 4 Champions League in his nine-year tenure with Los Blancos.
Great players often make their mark while facing tougher opponents, and Cristiano Ronaldo is no different. While the staggering numbers do give an idea about the extraterrestrial presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, his impact is matched by none as Cristiano always managed to find a way for Real Madrid at the most crucial junctures of the game repeatedly.
Cristiano's move to the Serie A giants not only provided a morale boost, but also handed Juventus a massive weapon. There is no doubt that his presence in the Juventus squad would only motivate the players and improve their mentality at the greatest stages of club football.
It remains to be seen whether the greatest player in UEFA Champions League relishes the challenge with his new team in the knockout rounds.
It should also be considered that Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United after winning numerous silverware with the club. He joined Real Madrid in 2009 when the team was way behind Pep Guardiola's Barcelona - one of the greatest teams of all time. Cristiano helped Real Madrid fight back and match the genius of the best Barcelona side in history.
Moreover, Cristiano also led Portugal to unprecedented heights as he was Portugal's pivotal player when they won the European Cup in 2016. The squad was a cohesive unit, but it was crystal clear there were very few serial match winners of Cristiano's calibre in the team.
To say Cristiano's move to Juventus is not a challenge is unjust, and going by Cristiano's career, he has successfully overcome the challenges he has faced.
It is impossible to dominate world football without overcoming any challenge. Cristiano Ronaldo may not be as fast or powerful as he once used to be, but the old lion is still striving hard and refusing to fade away at any cost.
The talisman is eager to etch his name in the history books, and drive Juventus towards European glory, and we all know what happens when Cristiano sets his sights on a specific task.
