‘Maybe Messi Misses Me’ – Ronaldo Says

Motivation drops without somebody pushing you

Ronaldo switched from Real Madrid to Juventus last summer as his time with the Spanish royal club came to an end after nine remarkable seasons that saw him win four Champions League titles (three consecutive), among lots of other trophies.

The Turin side paid an astonishing €100m for his signature, which was the largest transfer fee ever paid for a player over the age of 30 – Ronaldo is set to turn 34 next February. So far, his goalscoring numbers have been modest to the ones he enjoyed at Real Madrid, having bagged 11 goals in 19 appearances overall, per online sportsbooks sites in Portugal.

Motivation plays a big factor in our everyday lives, but in sports, and in this case football, it can mean the difference between a successful seasons and a lackluster one. Perhaps Ronaldo’s numbers would improve if his former arch-rival from La Liga would join him in Serie A, which is why the Portuguese has called upon the Argentine to challenge himself in Italy.

“I’d like him to come to Italy one day. I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he’s happy there then I respect that,” said the Portuguese captain.

When asked if he misses the days that he shared the completion with Messi in La Liga, Ronaldo responded, ”No, maybe it’s him who misses me. I’ve played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and for my national team, while he’s still in Spain.”

“Maybe he needs me more. For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy. He’s a fantastic player and a good guy, but I don’t miss anything here. This is my new life and I’m happy. I left my comfort zone and took on this challenge here in Turin, everything has gone well, I’ve proven I’m still an incredible player.”

Can Juventus win the Champions League with Ronaldo?

Ronaldo is a brand in himself, which is part of the reason why Juventus decided to shell out a huge transfer fee for a player that will undoubtedly give out diminishing returns. His name within the squad could help the club secure new long-term sponsorship deals with companies, as the Old Lady attempts to establish herself as a club on the ‘new’ scene.

But the other reason why the Portuguese captain was brought in is down to his pedigree in a competition that Juventus have sought to conquer for a long time. With Ronaldo having won the Champions League a whopping five times (once with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid), it is believed he could be the deciding factor in their hunt for European glory.

They’ve only won the competition twice in this long history; once with Michel Platini in 1984/85 and the second time with Alessandro Del Piero in 1995/96. But providers of online sportsbook bonuses in Portugal are vying for them to become European champions yet again, with their odds being 6.50 (11/2) to win outright.