Ronaldo shifts attention to Seria A after European flop

Cristiano Ronaldo warned that “true champions never break” as he turned his focus to Juventus’s Serie A match at Cagliari on Sunday after their early Champions League elimination.

“True champions never break! Our focus is already in Cagliari, in the Serie A struggle, in the Italian Cup final and in everything that we can still achieve this season,” Ronaldo said on Instagram, the first time he has spoken since Juventus crashed out of the last 16 to Porto.

“More important than the number of falls you take in life, is how fast and how strong you get back on your feet.”

Ronaldo’s future at Juventus is in the spotlight after a third Champions League failure since he was signed for 100 million euros ($117 million) in the summer of 2018 from Real Madrid.

“It’s true that the past belongs in museums (I should say!), but fortunately, football has memory… and so do I,” the 36-year-old continued.

Ronaldo is the record scorer in the competition with 134 goals, and has lifted the trophy five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

But the Portuguese forward failed to score in either leg of a knockout round for the first time in 16 years.

Read AlsoZidane refuses to rule out Ronaldo Real Madrid return

“History can’t be deleted, it’s written every single day with resilience, team spirit, persistence and lots of hard work. And those who don’t understand this, will never achieve glory and success.”

Juventus are third in Serie A — 10 points behind leaders Inter Milan — but with a game in hand as they target a 10th consecutive league title.