LONDON – Juventus’s record signing Cristiano Ronaldo has said his move fromReal Madrid was a “well thought out decision” as the Portugal forward aimsto help his new club win their first Champions League title in more thantwo decades.
Ronaldo, who joined the Italian champions last week on a four-year contractfor 100 million euros ($117.07 million), added that he did not want to stayin his comfort zone after winning three straight European Cups with Real.The 33-year-old left Los Blancos as their all-time top scorer with 451goals in all competitions and won two La Liga titles and four ChampionsLeague trophies over nine years. “I’m a person who likes to think about thepresent,” he told a news conference on Monday. “I’m still very young and Ialways liked the challenges, from Sporting, to Manchester (United), to Real(Madrid) and now Juventus.
“It was a well thought-out decision. It is the best club in Italy. It hasan outstanding manager (Massimiliano Allegri) and coaches so it was not adifficult decision to take.” “I am very ambitious and I like newchallenges. I hope everything will go very well. Luck always helps but youhave to look for it.” Ronaldo said he was grateful for the opportunity torepresent Juventus, admitting players of his age usually settle for a moveto less competitive leagues in Qatar or China.
“Usually players think their careers are over when they are 33. But I don’tfeel that at all,” he said, adding that this showed he was “different fromthe others”. “(Juve) is a big club and usually players of my age go toQatar or to China, with all due respect, so coming to such an important andgreat club at this stage in my career makes me very happy.” Ronaldo saidone of the factors in joining Juve was the standing ovation given to him bythe Turin club’s fans on his last visit, when he scored an astonishingoverhead kick for Real in the Champions League quarter-finals.