Lionel Messi believes the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo has made Juventus favourites for this season’s Champions League.
Ronaldo, 33, sensationally moved from Real Madrid to La Vecchia Signora in a deal reportedly worth £88.3m this summer.
The current Ballon d’Or winner played an instrumental role in Real winning the last three European Cups under Zinedine Zidane and, for that reason, Messi feels an intimate connection with the competition makes Juve, chasing a first Champions League crown since 1996, the ones to beat.
“Obviously they (Madrid) are one of the best teams in the world, they have great players and squad, but yes the departure of Cristiano from the squad makes them less strong,” he told Catalunya Radio (via Sky Sports).
“It makes Juventus a clear favourite to win the Champions League due to the squad they had before and now with him on top.
“I was surprised by his decision, I did not think he would go from Madrid nor that he would go to Juventus. There were so many teams and I heard less about Juve but it is a very good team.”
A Champions League legend
(Photo credit GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Since Uefa rebranded the European Cup into the Champions League in 1992, no player has scored more goals in the competition than Cristiano Ronaldo.
To date, he has bagged 120 goals across 153 matches for Manchester United and Real Madrid, with Lionel Messi (100) his nearest challenger.
A big game player, he has also featured in six finals (2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018), winning five. His only final defeat coming in 2009 to Barcelona, which turned out to be his final game for United.
Across those six showpiece events, the Portuguese forward scored in 2008 as the Red Devils would ultimately overcome Chelsea on penalties, despite him infamously missing his spot-kick, as well as in Madrid’s tenth (2014) and 12th (2017) triumphs.
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