Ronaldo's Juventus jersey to be auctioned to raise funds for earthquake-hit Turkey & Syria

Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Juventus teammate Merih Demiral took to his official Twitter handle and revealed that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has donated his signed Juventus jersey for an auction. The proceedings from the auction will be used to help the victims of the earthquakes that recently hit Turkey and Syria. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Syria and Turkey in the early hours of February 6, with several tremors following throughout the day.

As reported by the Associated Press, the death toll due to the catastrophic earthquake and series of aftershocks has already surpassed the 15,000 mark. While over 12,500 people were killed in Turkey, over 60,000 suffered serious injuries. At the same time, around 2,900 people have reportedly lost their lives on the Syrian side of the border. 

"All proceeds from the auction will be used in the earthquake zone"

Meanwhile, in his tweet on Tuesday, Merih said, “I just spoke with @Cristiano. He said that he was very sad about what happened in Turkey. We are auctioning Ronaldo's signed jersey in my collection. All proceeds from the auction will be used in the earthquake zone. @ahbap will be donated”. 

In another tweet on February 8, he added, “As of 23.45, the highest bid placed in the auction @vefakuzu is as such. You can send your offers via @TeamDemiral and teamdemiral@gmail.com until 20.00 tomorrow”. Demiral is a 24-year-old footballer who currently plays for Atalanta and was Ronaldo’s teammate at Juventus. He has played a total of 35 international matches for Turkey so far.

Demiral’s tweets about Ronaldo’s Juventus jersey being auctioned off became a big talking point for fans on social media as they received tens of thousands of likes right away. Other footballers also followed the five-time Ballon d’Or by selling off their own memorabilia. In a follow-up tweet, Demiral added, “I then spoke with Leonardo Bonucci. He conveyed his sorrow and remarked that Turkey supports our people. Additionally, he claimed to have provided a signed Juventus jersey”.