Juventus Update: Turin-Based Club Found New Cristiano Ronaldo 'Sidekick'

Juventus may have been very pleased to have Federico Chiesa alongside Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch.

Since his epic to Turin in 2018, Ronaldo has been Juventus’ talisman. The likes of Paulo Dybala and then-Juve striker Gonzalo Higuain both proved to be productive co-stars for the Portuguese icon.

However, a certain Chiesa is now generating buzz around Serie A for being Ronaldo’s new “sidekick,” Goal reported.

Juventus signed Chiesa on loan in October last year to add versatility in the squad. At the time, some were concerned about how the forward would fit-in in Andrea Pirlo’s stacked team.

But to everyone’s surprise, Chiesa managed to continue where he left off at Fiorentina, especially in terms of scoring goals.

Last year alone, the 23-year-old tallied a total of six goals for both Fiorentina and Juventus, twice against both Atalanta and AC Milan, and one goal apiece against Napoli and Inter Milan.

But it was during the Old Lady’s sensational 3-1 victory over Rossoneri earlier this month where Chiesa really made his mark on Pirlo’s side.

The Juve coach ordered Chiesa to man-mark AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez, which the Italian played exceptionally.

“The idea was to keep him (Theo) under pressure and not allow him to keep pushing forward as freely as he usually does, especially when he had to deal with a player [like Chiesa] who was also good in one-on-one situations,” Pirlo said after the game.

Despite being a great goalscorer, Chiesa was signed by Juventus because Pirlo wanted him to take on star players of the opposing teams.

“We signed Fede so that he could take men on in the final third, and while his position might change, his role does not," the coach stated.

Due to his tumultuous twilight with Fiorentina, some have questioned Chiesa’s professionalism and attitude.

He was accused of being arrogant. but on the other hand, Chiesa has also been emulating the unparalleled determination and work ethic of Ronaldo.

"Working hard in training has really paid off," the Genoa native explained in 2017. "It's the push that got me to Serie A and now has me trying to improve week by week. It’s the same attitude as Cristiano Ronaldo. He doesn’t have the talent of [Lionel] Messi, but has won the same number of Ballon d’Or trophies.”

"An exemplary professional like him proves if you want to reach the top and stay there, focusing on every tiny detail is crucial,” he added.