Inside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Winning Formula: A Coach’s Perspective
“Coaching Juve was a great experience. It was a journey with a young and new team,” says Andrea Pirlo
Cristiano Ronaldo is among the best footballers in history, but he’s always compared to Argentine great Lionel Messi. However, some experts believe the Portuguese is the greatest, while others back the Inter Miami star to be the best.
But despite this debate, there seems to be a consensus among people: Ronaldo is disciplined and has high professional standards.
Andrea Pirlo was the coach of Italian football club Juventus in the 2020-2021 season, and during his stint there, he coached several players — including Ronaldo.
During his three years (2018-2021) at the club, the Portuguese star greatly contributed to the club’s reputation and its fan following. On social media, Juve’s collective following doubled, from 50m to 113m followers, according to Forbes.
Although the star was not able to help the side secure a UEFA Champions League title, he did lead them to two Serie A league titles in three seasons.
The former coach, Pirlo, experienced Ronaldo’s dedication and professionalism firsthand.
“Coaching Juve was a great experience. It was a journey with a young and new team; I have no regrets,” Pirlo said, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
“Coaching Ronaldo makes you understand how he becomes number 1 in the world. He is an exemplary professional in everything: from eating, to recovery, to the training itself.”
Ronaldo helped Juve grow, not only in terms of fan following, but he brought the club revenue as well.
“In his first season, Juve’s revenue grew by some €58m ($68.4m) from the usual sources (stadium, commercial deals, merchandising); the club sold 1 million shirts in 2018/19, more than double compared to the previous year,” Forbes reported.
In the second, Juve’s existing deals with Jeep and Adidas were renegotiated due to the presence of Ronaldo, rising from $20 million to $49.5 million (Jeep) and from $27 million to $60 million (Adidas).
