Juventus sporting director claims Ronaldo was not the first choice signing last summer

Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus, however, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has admitted Juventus wanted a shake-up last season after once again failing in the Champions League. "I had a thought about [Gianluigi] Buffon leaving, the team having won seven championships, and having had a tough Champions League exit," he told Gazzetta dello Sport, per FourFourTwo. "So something had to be done to motivate the squad." "I met with [chairman] Andrea [Agnelli], [vice chairman] Pavel [Nedved], and we all agreed. We must give the entire environment a shock. A positive shock that can project Juventus over certain limits. "There are two ways to motivate the team. The first way? It was to buy Icardi and unleash an incredible fiasco, or we can sign Cristiano Ronaldo." Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored an impressive 18 goals in 23 Serie A games, and also assisted his teammates on eight occasions.

Champions League predictions: Who will reach Quarterfinals?