Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved has issued a public statement regarding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrea Pirlo, the club's star attacker and manager, amid growing speculation of an exit for both the player and the Italian tactician.
The Bianconeri have endured a disappointing 2020/21 campaign and thus talk of a managerial change was inevitable. The Old Lady are third in the Italian top-flight, trailing Serie A leaders Inter Milan by 10 points thanks to a shocking 1-0 loss at home to newly-promoted Benevento over the weekend.
Their quest for their first UEFA Champions League title since 1995-96 hasn't gone well either, with the Italian giants crashing out in the round of 16 at the hands of Porto. This means for the third year running, Juventus have suffered an early elimination from Europe since signing Cristiano, the tournament's most successful player, hence the rumors of Ronaldo's departure.
Some sources claim that the Turin heavyweights are ready to pull the plug on the CR7 project, with the team appearing nowhere closer to a UCL title since signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner from Real Madrid. The Portuguese icon will be entering the final year of his Allianz Stadium contract and while Juventus official have made statements regarding his future before, the most definitive one has just been issued.
That came from Pavel Nedved, the club's vice-president, with the Czech icon stressing that neither Cristiano nor Pirlo will be leaving this summer. Speaking in an interview with DAZN, the 48-year-old said (as per Football Italia):
"Pirlo is and will be the Juventus coach, that's 100 per cent sure.
"We have begun a new project with him, knowing we would face difficulties. We wanted to do something more, but we could not manage to do so.
"We are calm, Pirlo has everything to become a great coach," Nedved added.
"As far as I am concerned, Ronaldo won't leave. He has a contract until June 2022, and he will stay. We'll see what will happen afterwards," the Bianconeri official went on to say.
"Cristiano Ronaldo pushed us towards the Olympus of football, both on technically and in terms of image.
"He scored more than 100 goals in 120 matches, and, besides, he dragged us into the Champions League.
"He's a simple guy, although he may not look like that from the outside. He is the prototype of a modern player who has achieved incredible targets with immense talent and a lot of work."
Nedved's statement may do little to squash the rumors as it merely describes Juventus' intentions with Cristiano. Several sources claim that it is Ronaldo who wants out, with the former Real Madrid sensation keen on a return to the Bernabeu. Whether he gets a second spell in the Spanish capital remains uncertain as Los Blancos also have their eyes on the likes of Haaland, Mbappe, and Kane.
