Ronaldo insists his Juve move was influenced by fans’ reaction to overhead kick

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Cristiano Ronaldo says that the reaction from Juventus fans to the bicycle-kick goal he scored against them in last season’s Champions League influenced his decision to join the Old Lady this summer.

The Portuguese star joined the Bianconeri in a €100m deal from Real Madrid, who he has spent the last nine years with since leaving Manchester United in 2009.

The Portuguese superstar scored three times over two legs against Juventus. The 33-year-old described his bicycle-kick as one of the best of his career and says that the applause it received from Juve fans was one of the deciding factors influencing his move to Turin.

“The small details make a big difference in decisions,” Ronaldo said when asked about the crowd’s reaction to his goal (via Football Espana).

“To be honest, what you see and hear in the stadium can be helpful for you, those moments of respect and appreciation are important.”

“It is unfortunate for me that the goal came against my current club but I believe it is my best ever, so the response was really great.”

“It was an unbelievable moment to see those fans on their feet and clapping, this had never happened to me before.”

Why did Ronaldo Leave Madrid?

There are far less rosy explanations for why Ronaldo traded La Liga for Serie A. One theory, offered by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, is that the forward wasn’t on the best of terms with Madrid president Florentino Pérez, primarily because Ronaldo thought he wasn’t being paid as much as he deserved.

The fact that Neymar and Messi were both commanding higher salaries was particularly irksome for Ronaldo, and even though the 33-year-old is the current Ballon d’Or holder, Perez did not satisfy his demands. However, that theory is contradicted by the fact that Ronaldo is being paid €30m per year, which is still €4m less than Neymar and €11m less than Messi.

Another – and perhaps more credible – theory is that Ronaldo left Los Blancos due to Spain’s high-tax rates. Ronaldo was prosecuted earlier this year for tax evasion which resulted in a €18.8m fine and a two-year suspended jail sentence.

According to La Liga president, Javier Tabas, Italy’s lower tax rate is the real reason for his departure. “Ronaldo will earn more money in Italy than here (in Spain) so we are at a disadvantage,” Tebas said.

Regardless of why Ronaldo is in Turin, that is where his future now lies. His next game for Juventus is against Lazio on Saturday.

The post Ronaldo insists his Juve move was influenced by fans’ reaction to overhead kick appeared first on Squawka News.



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