Ronaldo thanked Real Madrid for making his time at the club 'possibly the happiest of my life', but added that he felt it was the right decision to move on.
He said:
'I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I feel that way and I ask everyone, and especially our followers, to please understand me.'
An hour after Real Madrid's statement, Juventus confirmed the news of Ronaldo's capture on their website.
The club confirmed that they will pay £88m (€100m) to the Spanish giants, with a further payment of £10m is believed to be going to his first club Sporting Lisbon.
RONALDO'S STATEMENT IN FULL
These years in Real Madrid, and in this city of Madrid, have been possibly the happiest of my life.
I only have feelings of enormous gratitude for this club, for this hobby and for this city. I can only thank all of them for the love and affection I have received.
However, I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I feel that way and I ask everyone, and especially our followers, to please understand me.
They have been absolutely wonderful for 9 years. They have been 9 unique years. It has been an exciting time for me, full of consideration but also hard because Real Madrid is of a very high demand, but I know very well that I will never forget that I have enjoyed football here in a unique way.
I have had fabulous teammates in the field and in the dressing room, I have felt the warmth of an incredible crowd and together we have won 3 Champions in a row and 4 Champions in 5 years. And with them also, on an individual level, I have the satisfaction of having won 4 Gold Balls and 3 Gold Boots. All during my time in this immense and extraordinary club.
Real Madrid has conquered my heart, and that of my family, and that is why more than ever I want to say thank you: thanks to the club, the President, the directors, my colleagues, all the technicians, doctors, physios and incredible workers that make everything work and that are pending every detail tirelessly.
Thank you infinitely once more to our fans and thanks also to Spanish Football. During these 9 exciting years I have had great players in front of me. My respect and my recognition for all of them.
I have reflected a lot and I know that the time has come for a new cycle. I'm leaving but this shirt, this shield and the Santiago Bernabéu will continue to always feel as my own wherever I am.
Thanks to all and, of course, as I said that first time in our stadium 9 years ago: Hala Madrid!
'Juventus Football Club SpA announces that it has reached an agreement with the company Real Madrid Club De Futbol SpA for the definitive acquisition of the right to the sports performances of the player Dos Santos Aveiro Cristiano Ronaldo against a fee €100million, payable in two years, plus the solidarity contribution provided for by the FIFA regulations and accessory charges for €12million,' the statement read.
'Juventus signed a four-year sports performance contract with the same player until June 30, 2022.'
Ronaldo leaves Real Madrid with a legacy littered with smashed records and a haul of trophies.
He is the Spanish club's all-time top scorer with 450 goals in all competitions and won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with them.
'For Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo will always be one of its greatest symbols and a unique reference for the generations to come,' Real Madrid's statement added.
'Real Madrid will always be his home.'
While there was success, Ronaldo also had, at times, a turbulent relationship with Real Madrid's club hierarchy, particularly club president Florentino Perez.
The first signs of an uneasy relationship emerged when he declared on the pitch in 2012, 'I'm sad and the club know why', and they reared their head again after the 4-1 win over Juventus in the 2017 Champions League final when newspaper A Bola said he had decided to leave.
Ronaldo's complaints, said to be centred around Real's reluctance to hand him a pay-rise and a perceived lack of support for him in his legal battle against the Spanish tax authorities, received little sympathy among fans or the Spanish media, however.
Their patience wore even thinner when he hogged the narrative after Real had beaten Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev by saying 'it was beautiful to play for Real Madrid,' seemingly re-airing his dissatisfaction with the club.
It was an unedifying yet strangely fitting end to a glorious yet bumpy marriage between one of the sport's greatest ever players and one of its most storied clubs.
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| Real Madrid club president Florentino Perez and Ronaldo didn't always agree with each other |
Ronaldo will rightly be remembered as one of Real's best ever players, although he never quite enjoyed the God-like status he seemed to craved.
The 33-year-old's first game for Juventus could come against his former club when the two meet in the International Champions Cup.
The two play each other on August 4 at FedEx Field in Washington.
Nevertheless, former Real Madrid team-mates were quick to post their own tributes to Ronaldo.
Defender Sergio Ramos tweeted: 'Cristiano, your goals, your numbers and everything we've won together speak for themselves. You have earned a special place in the history of Real Madrid.
'As Madridistas we'll remember you always. It's been a pleasure to play alongside you, bicho. Big hug and good luck!'
Sami Khedira, who played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid before joining Juventus in 2015, added: 'Benvenuto a Torino (Welcome to Turin), Cristiano.
'We had a great time together in Madrid, I can't wait to get back to work with you! Today is a special day for Juventus.'
Juventus striker Paulo Dybala also sent a tweet to Ronaldo welcoming him to Turin.
'Bienvenido Cristiano. Bevenuto. Bemvindo!' he wrote, which translates as: 'Welcome, Cristiano. Welcome.'
Former Manchester United team-mate, Gary Neville, tweeted: 'Stunned! Never believed a word of it! Expected a new RM deal.'
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| Unofficial Juventus shirts with Ronaldo's name on are already being sold in Turin |
Juventus have completed the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid as Real Madrid also confirmed they have accepted the £88m deal to sell superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus after club president flew to his Greek hotel to finalize a stunning four-year deal that will see him earn £500,000 a week
Cristiano Ronaldo Ronaldo won four Champions League titles at Real Madrid during his time there, scored a total of 450 goals for Real Madrid, making him the record goalscorer, has made an astonishing £88million move to Juventus after Real Madrid granted him permission to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo met Juventus club president Andrea Agnelli on Tuesday afternoon in a hotel in Greece before agreeing a four-year deal worth an estimated £500,000 a week.
It is believed that the transfer was finalized at the meeting in Greece, where Ronaldo is currently on holiday with his girlfriend and family.
Real Madrid confirmed the transfer late on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, the club admitted that they had granted Ronaldo his wish to leave the club.
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| Real Madrid confirmed Ronaldo's move to Italian champions Juventus on Tuesday afternoon |
It read:
'Today, 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.'
'Beyond the titles won, the trophies collected and the triumphs achieved on the pitch during these nine years, Cristiano Ronaldo has been an example of dedication, work, responsibility, talent and improvement.'
 |
| Juventus announced the news that rocked world football late on Tuesday afternoon |
Ronaldo thanked Real Madrid for making his time at the club 'possibly the happiest of my life', but added that he felt it was the right decision to move on.
He said:
'I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I feel that way and I ask everyone, and especially our followers, to please understand me.'
An hour after Real Madrid's statement, Juventus confirmed the news of Ronaldo's capture on their website.
The club confirmed that they will pay £88m (€100m) to the Spanish giants, with a further payment of £10m is believed to be going to his first club Sporting Lisbon.
 |
| Unofficial Juventus shirts with Ronaldo's name on are already being sold in Turin |
 |
| A reporter holds up a Juventus shirt with 'Ronaldo No 7' on the back outside the club's ground |
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| Juventus fans outside the stadium holding up a shirt with their new star's name on the back |
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| How Ronaldo could look when he turns out for Italian champions Juventus next season |
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| The club tweeted Ronaldo's letter in which the player thanked the club for their support |
 |
| Ronaldo won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid, the last coming in May |
Juventus are close to agreeing on a deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. It is understood there could be significant developments in the next 48 hours, with Real expected to make a final decision about how to proceed with the offer from Juventus.
The Serie A champions are hoping to complete a club-record £88m deal for the 33-year-old, who is set to leave Madrid after nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ronaldo, who is Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 450 to his name, has won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and four Champions League crowns during his time with the club.
Talks have been ongoing between Juventus, Madrid and Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
It is believed the player has agreed on terms with the Italian side, but both clubs are yet to reach an agreement.
Source
Sky Sports
Gianluigi Buffon ended his 17-year Juventus career as they crowned a seventh straight Italian title with a 2-1 win over relegated Verona. The 40-year-old keeper was substituted just after the hour, and was in tears as he embraced his team-mates while the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
He did a lap of honour while the match continued in Turin, accepting gifts and congratulations from fans.
Daniele Rugani and Miralem Pjanic scored for Juve in a comfortable win.
Alessio Cerci pulled a goal back after Buffon had been replaced by Carlo Pinsoglio, but Verona rarely threatened to ruin the send-off at the Allianz Stadium.
Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner – also playing his final game for Juventus – could have increased the advantage, but his late penalty was excellently saved by Nicolas Andrade.
Buffon, who is considering offers for new roles both on and off the pitch, was cheered every time he touched of the ball by the home supporters – and for long periods when he was nowhere near it.
Buffon shaking hands with fans
Before kick-off, the Italian was greeted onto the pitch with a banner bearing his face. He then mingled with fans, accepting congratulations and gifts from the Curva Sud.
His team-mates wore the hashtag #un1co on their sleeves, pointing to the social media tributes that have flowed since he confirmed the end of his Juventus career on Thursday.
Buffon’s one moment of concern came when Douglas Costa’s loose pass let Ryder Matos in on goal.
The goalkeeper rushed out and appeared to collide with the Brazilian as the ball was touched beyond him – but referee Ricardo Pinzani decided against awarding a penalty or reviewing the incident via the video assistant referee.
Buffon joined Juventus for a world record 52m euros fee (then £32.6m) for a goalkeeper from Parma in 2001.
His latest success takes his tally of Serie A titles to nine. He also has one from Italy’s second tier after he remained with the Turin side in the wake of their enforced relegation over the match-fixing scandal of 2006.
The previous best was eight won by Giovanni Ferrari with Juventus, Inter Milan and Bologna between 1930 and 1941.
Buffon is rumoured to have been offered a playing deal with French champions Paris St-Germain, as well as an off-field role with Juventus.
Serie A giants Juventus are reportedly eager to sell Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic, but have received no genuine offers.
The striker turns 32 later this month and is under contract until June 2020, having extended the deal a year ago.
This season, Mandzukic has scored 10 goals and four assists in 41 competitive games.
But according to football-italia.net, Mandzukic has become increasingly frustrated at being used out on the left wing and not as a centre-forward, where he moved to make way for Gonzalo Higuain.
And it is believed Juventus have asked three different intermediaries to find Mandzukic a new club, but so far there are no real offers.
Milan were reported to be interested in a bid for the former Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid star.
Mandzukic is expected to be part of Croatia’s 23-man squad that will feature at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia.
They are drawn in Group D with Argentina, Nigeria and Iceland.
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been charged by UEFA over comments he made about English referee Michael Oliver after the Italian side’s Champions League defeat by Real Madrid in April.
Buffon was sent off after Oliver awarded Real Madrid a controversial penalty in added time in the second leg of their quarter-final tie in Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo scored to send the champions through 4-3 on aggregate.
UEFA announced on Friday that Buffon, 40, has been charged with breaching their “general principles of conduct” after his outburst against Oliver.
Juventus captain Buffon had said moments after the game: “It was a tenth of a penalty.
“I know the referee saw what he saw, but it was certainly a dubious incident. Not clear-cut. And a dubious incident at the 93rd minute when we had a clear penalty denied in the first leg, you cannot award that at this point.
“The team gave its all, but a human being cannot destroy dreams like that at the end of an extraordinary comeback on a dubious situation.
“Clearly you cannot have a heart in your chest, but a bag of rubbish. On top of that, if you don’t have the character to walk on a pitch like this in a stadium like this, you can sit in the stands with your wife, your kids, having your drink and eating crisps.
“You cannot ruin the dreams of a team. I could’ve told the referee anything at that moment, but he had to understand the degree of the disaster he was creating.
“If you can’t handle the pressure and have the courage to make a decision, then you should just sit in the stands and eat your crisps.”
UEFA also charged Buffon for the red card. The case will be dealt with on 31 May.
After Barcelona and Lionel Messi wilted at the Olimpico on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo will be primed to take centre stage once again with a Ballon d’Or-winning performance on Wednesday against Juventus having instigated a comfortable 3-0 first leg lead.
After his out-of-this-world goal against Juventus last week, Ronaldo knows another compelling performance on this stage would nudge him closer to a sixth award. For Juventus, there is pride to play for with the belief that anything is possible in football as they witnessed on Tuesday.
Italian newspaper, Gazzetta Dello Sport, has told Juventus to take a leaf out of Roma’s performance against Barcelona to stage their own comeback. “Juve: now it’s your turn to give it a go against Real Madrid.”
Massimiliano Allegri, in his pre-match press conference, alluded to the belief they can turn the tide against the reigning European champions. “What we want to do is reverse this 3-0.
“It was a tough result, we’ll need to play a complete game against a complete team if we are to get a positive result,” Allegri conceded, as Los Blancos haven’t lost a Champions League home match since March 2015.
Nobody expected us to concede after two minutes in Turin, so why can’t we do the same tomorrow. We need to give our all; tomorrow will help us for the result of the season. We need to be serious as we’re still battling for the league.”
| Stats | Real Madrid | Juventus |
|---|---|---|
| Chances Created | 143 | 88 |
| Shot Accuracy | 53% | 53% |
| Errors Leading to Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Goals Scored | 25 | 11 |
| Goals Conceded | 9 | 11 |
For Gianluigi Buffon, so much pride will be at stake in the only football trophy that continues to elude him. “We need to be serious, play with dignity, suffer and do all we can. Tomorrow [Wednesday], if you’re ready to fight and die for your team-mates, the match will go in a certain direction, one we want it to go in.”
Though they will be without Paolo Dybala, Madrid are also shorn of their talismanic captain, Sergio Ramos, which means Jesus Valejjo could partner Raphael Varane, which translates to a modicum of opportunity for the Gonzalo Higuain-led Juventus attack.
Allegri will also have to deal with the enforced absences of Andrea Barzagli and Rodrigo Bentancur though he would have the returning duo of Miralem Pjanic and Medhi Benatia.
Current Form: Real Madrid [D-W-W-W-W]; Juventus [W-D-W-W-L-D]
Head to head
03/04/18 UCL Juventus 0 – 3 Real Madrid
03/06/17 UCL Juventus 1 – 4 Real Madrid
13/05/15 UCL Real Madrid 1 – 1 Juventus
05/05/15 UCL Juventus 2 – 1 Real Madrid
05/11/13 UCL Juventus 2 – 2 Real Madrid
For Zinedine Zidane, the match is at halftime and his players must have the bearing that Wednesday’s match is a stand-alone. “The 0-3 result will not change things for us.
“It’s another game and what happened, happened. It was a good game, but there is still 50% of the tie to be played.
“We will have to put in another great game to pass through. I’m only interested in tomorrow’s match and I only think of my team and how we need to play another great game to qualify.”
Meanwhile, Ronaldo has the chance to score in an 11th straight UEFA Champions League [UCL] match – he holds the current record for scoring in 10 straight UCL matches.
Words Before The War
“We have one final and it is tomorrow. Then we will see if we get through, and then who we have to face, but we must not think beyond tomorrow’s game.” – Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid Manager
“Real Madrid will be serious and want to play a complete game, too. We need to concentrate on ourselves, not them.” – Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus Manager
Manchester City will face Liverpool in an all-English Champions League quarter-final while Juventus have a chance to gain revenge on holders Real Madrid in a repeat of last year’s final.
Surprise qualifiers Sevilla take on Bayern Munich while Barcelona were paired with AS Roma in the draw made in Nyon on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side will host Pep Guardiola’s City at Anfield for the first leg, either on April 3 or April 4 as the sides meet for the first time in Europe.
It will also be the first meeting of two English sides in the last eight of the Champions League since Chelsea played Manchester United in the 2010-2011 season.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said:
“We know each other very well, they are a very offensive team, the truth is it is going to be a great couple of games and we are going to see good football.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real teammates will be happy to be playing the second leg of their tie at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium against Juventus, whose experience proved lethal to English club Tottenham in the last 16.
Bayern, aiming to win Europe’s top club crown for the sixth time, face Sevilla, the surprise slayers of Manchester United in the last round, but goalkeeper Sven Ulreich said they were relieved to avoid one of their major rivals.
“There are harder draws. It’s doable, but Sevilla have shone in Europe and they have won three Europa Leagues,” Ulreich said.
“So we’ll be very focused when we go over there (for the first leg) and then we’ll do the business at home.”
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