Published 11:19 IST, September 23rd 2018
Juventus not dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo, says head coach Massimiliano Allegri
Speaking ahead of Juventus' Serie A tie against Frosinone, Allegri insisted Ronaldo's acquisition was an 'added value' to the team and they were not full depended on his services.
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Juventus have enjoyed a perfect start to the season winning five matches in as many games played. Though, their current run of form has been overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo's recent red card incident which took place in the Champions League clash against Valencia on Wednesday.
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The Biaconneri boss Massimiliano Allegri has opened up on the role of the Portuguese talisman in their squad and he believes that the Italian giants can thrive even in the absence of the prolific forward.
Speaking ahead of the Old Lady’s Serie A tie against Frosinone, Allegri insisted Ronaldo's acquisition was an 'added value' to the team and they were not fully dependent on his services.
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“Juventus do not depend on Cristiano Ronaldo, although he is the best player in the world together with Messi. He is an added value for us. He has created many goal chances so far. He is an important piece for a team that has been winning a lot of trophies in the last few seasons,” Allegri said.
Much is expected from the five-time Ballon d'or winner since making his 110 million switch from Real Madrid. But, he has not lived up to the billing after having a topsy-turvy start to his life in Italy with compounding worries starting with his of lack of goals, and his infamous red-card incident. However, Allegri believes that Ronaldo, who has had a glittering career has nothing to prove and improvement will come over time.
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"He has nothing to prove, he needs to play, have fun and score like he’s always done. He is the first one to have expectations for himself. The red card against Valencia belongs to the past," Allegri added.
UEFA announced on Thursday that it had opened disciplinary proceedings over the red card incident. However, the Portuguese will have to wait until next week to hear the fate of the European governing body's verdict.
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Putting all the media talk behind him, Ronaldo will be desperate than ever to get on the scoresheet when Juventus take on newly promoted Frosinone in the Serie A. It seems like a routine win for the Turin outfit as their opponents have endured a fairly tough start to life back in Italy's top flight, picking up just one point in their opening four matches, whilst scoring no goals.
10:37 IST, September 23rd 2018