Napoli present Aurelio De Laurentiis has mocked Juventus’ signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
On the morning that Ronaldo takes his first training with his new team-mates in Turin, Napoli big wig De Laurentiis says the 33-year-old is an “absurd” signing.
“Spending so much money to buy only one player at the end of his career is very dangerous,” De Laurentiis told La Vertia.
“Let’s remember that Ronaldo is of a certain age and in terms of the club’s balancing of accounts his signing is a risky move.
“The signing of Ronaldo is out of any standard.
“If you start to pay such absurd and out-of-the-ordinary salaries, sooner or later this turns against you.
The Portuguese flew into northern Italy yesterday evening along with his girlfriend Georgina and his four children.He is now due to spend his first day with the Old Lady training at their Continassa base. Joining the 33-year-old will be the likes of Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain, Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa – the other members of Juve’s squad eliminated in the round of 16 or quarter-finals of this summer’s World Cup.
Ronaldo signed for the Bianconeri from Real Madrid for a fee of around €100m.He has won the Champions League five times in his glittering career, with four of those triumphs coming in the last five seasons.
Although Ronaldo starts work at the Turin club today, he will not meet the majority of his Juve teammates, nor Coach Max Allegri, until 8 August.The Serie A champions are currently on a pre-season tour of the United States and face further matches against an MLS All-Star XI and Real Madrid over the coming week.
Ronaldo, 33, won four Champions League titles in his nine years at Real.
“The time has come to open a new stage in my life, that’s why I asked the club to accept transferring me,” he said.
The top two world record transfer fees have been paid out by Paris St-Germain – the £200m they paid Barcelona for Brazil forward Neymar last August, and the fee of around £166m for France forward Kylian Mbappe in July after a successful season on loan with PSG.
Barcelona also paid Liverpool £142m for Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho in January. For Juventus, the fee they will pay for Ronaldo is set to eclipse the £75.3m they paid for forward Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli in July 2016.
Ronaldo joined Real from Manchester United for £80m in July 2009 and scored a club-record 450 goals and won the Ballon D’Or – awarded to the world’s best footballer – in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
He has helped them win the Champions League in four of the past five seasons, scoring in the 2014 and 2017 finals.
“For Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo will always be one of the great symbols,” said a club statement.
“Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to a player who has proved to be the best in the world and who has marked one of the brightest times in the history of our club and world football.
