Published 15:16 IST, November 11th 2019
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly left ground after being substituted
Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted after 55 minutes during Juventus' win over AC Milan. Ronaldo was left frustrated and stormed straight down the tunnel.
Advertisement
Matchday 4 of the Champions League saw Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus scrape to a 2-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow. With just under 10 minutes to go, Maurizio Sarri decided to replace Cristiano Ronaldo with Paulo Dybala. Juventus then went on to win the game. Fast forward to this past weekend, where Juventus faced an AC Milan side in the doldrums. With over half an hour of action left in the game, Maurizio Sarri once again decided to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo, with Paulo Dybala taking his place for the second time in the week.
55': Paulo Dybala replaces Cristiano Ronaldo
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) November 10, 2019
77': Paulo Dybala scores the winner
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan. pic.twitter.com/ZmMNisVOwn
Deja vu for Cristiano Ronaldo
Sarri's move would pay off in the 77th minute, and while Juventus fans were celebrating being undefeated in all competitions under Maurizio Sarri, Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure. As soon as he was called off, Ronaldo directed a steely stare at his manager and then appeared to mutter something under his breath. Ronaldo then walked straight down the tunnel, but that wasn't the end of the drama for the Juventus superstar.
1 - Cristiano Ronaldo has been subbed off during the first 55' minutes of play for his first time for Juventus and also has been subbed off for two consecutive games for his first time with the Bianconeri. News.#JuveMilan
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 10, 2019
Reporters in Italy have stated that Cristiano Ronaldo left the stadium even before the final whistle was blown. Maurizio Sarri, however, did his best to allay any fears of a rift between himself and the Portuguese star. Sarri went on to say that he wasn't sure if the reports saying that Ronaldo had left the stadium before the game ended were true. He did say that if that was the case, it is a problem to be solved between Ronaldo and his teammates. Sarri also said that he was thankful to Ronaldo since the Portuguese made himself available for selection despite not being fully fit for the Serie A game against AC Milan. Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo has now been substituted as many times this campaign as he was throughout the entire 2018-19 season.
14:07 IST, November 11th 2019