Did Cristiano Ronaldo 'upset balance' at Juventus? Federico Bernardeschi gives honest take on 'unique' CR7

Juve supporters were delighted to welcome Ronaldo onto their books when a switch that few people saw coming was completed. He had scored 44 goals through as many appearances in the previous season with Real - taking his overall tally for the Liga giants to 450 through 438 appearances. He was still very much at the peak of his powers when heading to Italy.

Ronaldo made the expected impact with Juve, breaking the 30-goal barrier in two campaigns for the Old Lady of Turin. He became a centurion once again, with the net being found on 101 occasions through 134 games. CR7 helped Juve to cement their domestic dominance, while also remaining competitive on the Champions League stage.

Some stunning efforts were recorded by the Portuguese, including his towering header against Sampdoria in December 2019. Questions were, however, asked throughout his time in Italy of whether he was the right fit for Juve. His relentless pursuit of perfection is also considered to rub club colleagues up the wrong way at times, with not everybody sharing his work ethic when it comes to early morning and late night gym sessions.

Bernardeschi is, however, adamant that Ronaldo was never anything but a positive presence for Juve. He was not always one of the boys, with his celebrity status forcing a somewhat shielded existence to be lived off the pitch, but he was happy to form part of dressing room banter and let his guard down when clear of the cameras that follow his every move.

Speaking to BSMT, Bernardeschi said: “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 team-mate, 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 team-mate, but he’s not like you. 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.”

Ex-Italy international Bernardeschi, who is now on the books of Bologna after spending three years in MLS with Toronto FC, added on Ronaldo supposedly disrupting Juventus’ tactical approach: “No, I don’t think he upset any balance. In the first season after his arrival, we really could have won the Champions League, I truly believe it.

“To say that Cristiano Ronaldo upset the balance within Juventus is not true; it would be hiding behind an alibi. I believe there were several factors that led to the loss of that DNA, that secret of transmitting values. If Juve didn’t win the Champions League with Ronaldo, it’s not his fault, it’s everyone’s fault. Against Atletico, he scored three goals, but everyone else had a wonderful performance. The following season, it was quite the opposite.”

Juve slipped to fourth in the Serie A standings during Ronaldo’s final season with the club. They have not won another top-flight title since. CR7 bid farewell when heading to Manchester United for a second spell at Old Trafford. A return to a spiritual home in England did not play out as planned, with his contract being torn up by the Red Devils in November 2022.

That freed Ronaldo to head for the Middle East and the evergreen frontman, who is now 40 years of age, is still going strong in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr while remaining a talismanic presence for Portugal - who he is hoping to represent at next summer’s World Cup.