Since 2003 when Cristiano Ronaldo hit the limelight, the 2020-2021 season could be said to be the toughest season of the Juventus talisman.
Though he ended the season as the highest goalscorer in Serie A after scoring 29 league goals, his team, Juventus, could not continue with the culture of winning the Serie A title.
Before the outgoing 2020-2021 season, the Italian football giants had won the Serie A title 9 successive times. This season would have been their 10th but the team was not able to match the determination of Inter Milan.
After it was confirmed that Inter Milan have won the 2020-2021 Serie A title, the only thing left for Juventus was to strive to finish in the top four. After a lot of struggle, they were able to finish 4th on the league table thanks to their 4-1 victory over Bologna.
The 4-1 victory would not have been enough if Napoli had not drawn with Verona. The draw pushed Napoli down from the 4th spot to the 5th spot on the last day of the season. And they were replaced by Juve.
Though Cristiano Ronaldo did not play the last game of the season due to fatigue, he still ended the season as the league’s highest goalscorer.
Amid their struggle in the league, Cristiano Ronaldo was able to help Juventus to win the Italian Super Cup and Coppa Italia titles. However, those titles might not be enough to save the job of the club’s coach Andrea Pirlo.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his current contract with Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid on July 10, 2018, for a transfer fee worth €117 million. Reports claimed that the Italian club decided to sign him so that he could help them to win the UEFA Champions League.
Unfortunately for the club, the arrival of Ronaldo could not help them to go far in the competition in the last three seasons.
Despite that, the 36-year-old footballer still enjoys a whopping £53 million a year from the club. The huge money Ronaldo is making at the club could force the club to let him go anytime soon.
Besides, his contract with Juventus will expire at the end of the coming season. Hence, Cristiano Ronaldo and the club’s board would have to sit to discuss the Portuguese future at the club.
If they are not able to reach an agreement before next winter, the Portuguese footballer could leave the club. Reports claimed that Ronaldo’s most likely destination after Juve is Paris Saint Germain. However, before such a deal could work, PSG would have to sell Kylian Mbappe to ease the financial burden of signing Ronaldo.
Ronaldo Values Juventus achievement in 2020-2021 season
At the end of the 2020-2021 season, Cristiano Ronaldo took to Instagram to share a statement in which he summarized how the season has been for him and Juventus.
In his summary, he congratulated Inter Milan for winning the Serie A and noted that he values what Juventus was able to achieve this season which are: finish in the top four, win Italian Super Cup and Coppa Italia titles.
He wrote: “The life and career of any top player are made of ups and downs. Year well-deserved face fantastic teams, with extraordinary players and ambitious goals, so we always have to give our best to keep ourselves at excellence levels.
“This year we couldn’t, twin Serie A, congratulations to Inter for the well-deserved title. However, I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms. The Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup, and the Serie A Top Scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win.
“With these achievements, I reached a goal that I had myself since the first day I arrived in Italy: to win the Championship, the Cup, and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great football country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and very own football culture.
“I’ve already said that I don’t chase records, records chase me. For those who don’t understand what I mean by this, it’s very simple: football is a collective game, but it is through individual overcoming that we help our teams achieve their goals. It is always looking for more and more on the field, working more and more off the field, that records eventually emerge and collective titles become inevitable, some being the natural consequence of the other.
“So, I’m very proud of this fact that has been widely replicated in recent days: Champion in England, Spain, and Italy; Cup winner in England, Spain, and Italy; Super Cup winner in England, Spain, and Italy; Best Player in England, Spain, and Italy; Best Scorer in England, Spain, and Italy; Over 100 goals for a club in England, Spain, and Italy. Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that I’ve left my mark in the countries where I’ve played and that I gave joy to the fans of the clubs I represented. This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I’ll always keep chasing for until the last day.
“Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey! We stand together!”
