Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has this morning discussed the surprise and emotion brought forth by the decision of the Bianconeri’s supporters to stand and applaud in unison following his stunning overhead kick for Real Madrid during the Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash between the clubs last season.
After weeks of speculation following the end of his World Cup campaign with Portugal this summer, Ballon D’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo was heavily linked with a move away from Real Madrid, in the wake of an apparent falling out with Blancos’ president Florentino Perez.
The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and PSG were heavily linked with moves for the Portuguese superstar but, in the end, it was Serie A giants Juventus who shocked the footballing world to secure a deal for Ronaldo, as the Old Lady ramp up their efforts to secure their latest Champions League crown.
‘A special feeling’
In the aftermath of Ronaldo’s arrival, there has been an inevitable buzz among both Juventus’ fans and players alike, with videos on the club’s social media pages over the last week having highlighted the air of excitement around the Bianconeri’s training ground ahead of the new season.
And, speaking in an interview with Juventus TV earlier today, Ronaldo himself opened up on his time thus far in Turin, also discussing his decision to depart Real Madrid for the Old Lady, and the ‘unbelievable’ moment that Juve’s fans provided him with a standing ovation during the Champions League quarter-final clash between Los Blancos and the Serie A champions at the Juventus Stadium back in April:
‘I feel great. Everything is good, the test was good, people around the stadium, the fans, the people in the training ground are very nice with me. I’m glad, I’m happy. ‘[It’s a] great club, first of all it is a great club. Since I was a kid, I looked at this team and said I hope to play there one day. Now I will play for a fantastic club, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’m happy.’
‘I don’t have a precise moment when I decided. During the years, we played a few times against Juve and I had a special feeling that the Italian supporters like Cristiano.’
‘It’s the biggest club in Italy, one of the best in the world, so it was an easy decision, as Juve are an unbelievable club.’
On thatstanding ovation: ‘Unbelievable. I remember every day, that never happened to me before. In the Champions League against Juve, a quarter-final, you score a goal and see everyone in the stadium applaud you. It was an unbelievable feeling.’
‘I felt surprised at the beginning. I am used to following Juve and I like the club, but since that moment I liked them even more. I won’t say it was the key point in my decision, but every detail helps. Maybe. Of course, it helps when you see the people like you, the supporters and club like you, the feeling is completely different.’
‘I have to say thank you to all of them for the support. My priority is to do my best, be professional, try to make the team even better. That is my job, I’ll try to enjoy it as much as I can and make Juventus even better.’