Revealing Ronaldo's worst side during his time in Europe

The latest disclosure from Andrea Pirlo's ex-assistant unveiled the least favorable side of Cristiano Ronaldo while he played for Juventus, indicating that the Portuguese icon was not entirely perfect as commonly thought.

Cristiano Ronaldo has always been praised for his competitive spirit and hunger for victory, but according to the newest insight from Andrea Pirlo's former assistant Alparslan Erdem, the Portuguese star did not fully fit into the Italian coach’s football philosophy during their time together at Juventus.

In an interview with Bild, Erdem, who is currently the head coach of Shkupi, stated that Pirlo struggled to balance tactical ideas with Ronaldo's free attacking style during the 2020–2021 season. According to him, the analytical data gathered by the coaching staff showed Ronaldo was not suitable for the high-intensity pressing system Pirlo aimed to implement.

Erdem disclosed: “We conducted an analysis and realized Ronaldo was the slowest sprinter on the team. Pirlo wanted high pressing, but Ronaldo couldn’t meet that demand. In fact, Pirlo preferred Morata because he fit perfectly into the 4-4-2 formation. However, he couldn’t exclude Ronaldo since the club had spent 117 million euros to acquire him.”

Erdem also mentioned that Pirlo “was not very fond” of Paulo Dybala, and the need to manage strong-willed attacking stars put significant pressure on the Italian coach during his sole season leading Juventus.

Under Pirlo’s management, Ronaldo still maintained impressive form with 36 goals in 44 matches, earning the title of Serie A top scorer and helping Juventus win the Coppa Italia along with the Italian Super Cup. However, the Turin club finished only in 4th place in Serie A, ending their streak of 9 consecutive league titles.

Pirlo’s story is not unique. Previously, coaches like Maurizio Sarri, Jose Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick and Fernando Santos also faced challenges working with Ronaldo — a player with a strong personality, an absolute desire to win, and who always set higher standards than anyone else.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that Ronaldo remains a symbol of professionalism, determination, and top scoring performance — even during periods when he was not fully aligned with the team’s tactics.