Juventus Defender Credits Cristiano Ronaldo, Veteran Goalkeeper For Success In Turin

Having Cristiano Ronaldo on his side has been a huge relief for Giorgio Chiellini since the Portuguese landed in Turin in 2018. Being at the wrong end of Ronaldo’s vicious prowess as an opponent in the past, the Italian said he is just thankful that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is doing his damage for Juventus this time.

"Unfortunately, (Ronaldo) scored a lot against us. Luckily, he's now a teammate of mine," Chiellini wrote on an Instagram post, via Goal.

"He's on another level, you can see it and I think it's fair to admit that. He gave Juve a lot. When you have such a champion it's a shame if you don't make the most of him."

The 35-year-old centre-back had been a witness as the rest of the Bianconeri fell prey to Ronaldo’s lethal exploits. The Italian club was trounced by the soccer icon a handful of times, perhaps none bigger than the 4-1 mastery displayed in the 2017 Champions League final when Ronaldo was still suiting up for Real Madrid.

While he has nothing but praises for Ronaldo and the boost he has been giving the Italian club, Chiellini likewise took time to recognize the unmatched role of Juve’s veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has been his teammate for a long-time now.

"He's an older brother. In the last 15 years he's the person I have seen most on earth," Chiellini wrote of Buffon.

"He's a person who always manages to bring out the right words in decisive moments to change the fate of a season. He's a splendid person who has taught me a lot. We are different but as he was able to come up with words in the decisive moments."

Juventus got back in action last Thursday after a long suspension due to the Coronavirus pandemic and faced AC Milan for the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.

The match ended in a goalless draw but it was enough for the Old Lady to secure a final berth against Napoli on Wednesday after they seized the advantage in San Siro’s 1-1 affair during the first leg in February.

But the biggest takeaway of the night was Ronaldo’s rare penalty miss that has drawn concerns regarding his condition ahead of the final in Rome and their return to Serie A on June 22.

Ronaldo has scored 21 goals in 22 appearances this season in Serie A where Juventus is currently leading with 63 points.