Juventus decides to keep ‘best in the world’ Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Juventus beyond this season, the club’s managing director Fabio Paratici said after a 1-0 defeat to Benevento.
Ronaldo, who joined the Italian side on a four-year deal for a reported $117 million transfer fee in 2018, is the top scorer in Serie A so far this season with 23 goals.
He also recently scored the 770th goal of his career to move ahead of Pele’s tally of goals scored in official matches.
“He’s the best in the world and we’re holding on to him,” Paratici said of Juventus’ Portuguese star, while also acknowledging the team’s struggles this season.
Paratici added in the post-match press conference: “The word transition doesn’t exist at Juventus — we always play to win.
“Some seasons go better than others, but the word transition doesn’t exist. Seasons are important even if they’re about growth that yields results in the subsequent years.”
READ: Sevilla goalkeeper Bono makes himself the unlikely hero with remarkable last-minute equalizer
Sunday’s defeat further dented Juventus’ chances of winning a 10th consecutive league title as the Bianconeri now sit 10 points behind league leader Inter Milan.
Arthur’s under-hit pass midway through the second half was pounced on by Adolfo Gaich to give Benevento an unlikely lead away from home.
Ronaldo had a number of chances late on but was unable to beat goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo as Benevento held on for a shock victory.
“We needed to turn in a better display but we performed poorly in every aspect of our game,” said Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo.
“Everything was off today, in our attitude and in technical situations … our attitude has to be different in games like this.”
Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, videos and features
Having been knocked out of the Champions League by Porto earlier this month, Juventus now has 11 games to try and make up ground in the league, while a Coppa Italia final against Atalanta in May will also provide an opportunity to salvage the season.
