Ronaldo is going nowhere, says Juve chief
Juventus vice-chairman, Pavel Nedved, has declared Cristiano Ronaldo is going nowhere despite the club facing an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League.
Juve were defeated 3-0 at home by AC Milan on Sunday as Napoli knocked them out of the Serie A top four with a 4-1 win at Spezia.
It is unimaginable that Ronaldo, 36, may not be competing in Europe’s elite club competition next season as he enters the late stages of his stunning career.
But Nedved has issued a defiant message over the future of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, as well as under-fire Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo.
“Pirlo and Ronaldo will stay at Juventus,” the Allianz Stadium chief told Italian outlet Striscia la Notizia .
Even as his teammates have struggled, Ronaldo has enjoyed another brilliant season with 27 goals in Serie A and 34 in all competitions.
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“There are some difficulties, but we’ll fight until the end,” added Nedved as he discussed a challenging season for his side.
The former Czech Republic star’s resolve is shared by Pirlo, who insisted he would not step down after the humbling defeat by Milan.
“I have undertaken this job with a lot of enthusiasm, there are difficulties but my work goes on and I am available,” Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia .
“I think I can do better and be able to get out of it, together with the team. We have to look forward, I will continue to do my job as long as I am allowed.
“We had actually started fairly well in the match, but we lost our way and this was the final result. It’s difficult to explain now. There were many components that didn’t work.”