Juventus Boss Andrea Pirlo Finally Reveals Why He Left Cristiano Ronaldo on the Bench Against Bologna

Juventus Boss Andrea Pirlo Finally Reveals Why He Left Cristiano Ronaldo on the Bench Against Bologna

Oluwatomiwa Babalola
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:49 PM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo

- Juventus boss Pirlo finally revealed why he benched Ronaldo for Bologna game

- The 42-year-old manager said the 36-year-old was fatigued after his participation in the Coppa Italia final

- Pirlo insisted that he will remain in charge of the Old Lady when the 2021-22 season kicks off a few weeks from now

PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!

Andrea Pirlo made what looked like the most important decision for Juventus in their final game of the season against Bologna last weekend.

The Italian-born tactician benched Cristiano Ronaldo in spite of their Champions League qualification in doubt.

His decision however paid off as the Old Lady went ahead to claim a 4-1 win away from home while they narrowly made the top four after Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw by Hellas Verona.

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!

Excited Pirlo after the match confirmed that he started Morata to allow the Portuguese rest after his involvement in their Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta on Wednesday, May 19. He said:

Pirlo explains Ronaldo omission, expects to still be Juve coach next season
Cristiani Ronaldo taking his place on the bench during Juventus' season's final game against Bologna. Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC
Source: Getty Images
“It was a shared decision, Ronaldo was tired after Wednesday’s game, so I decided to start Morata, another great player. Ronaldo was available, I have a deep squad, and I can pick many different players.”

The former midfielder also stated that his goal was to ensure his side play in Europe's elite competition next season having failed to win their 10th consecutive league title.

Antonio Conte's Inter Milan were crowned champions for the first time in almost a decade with 91 points while Juve gathered 78 points and settled for the fourth position on the table. Pirlo was quoted by blackwhitereadallover saying:

“For me, it was important to finish the job, winning the Coppa Italia and qualifying for the Champions League, which was a very important target.
“I’ve always put in the total commitment, and this is the result. Those who must decide [about my future] will do it.
“I see myself on the Juve bench next season, I would confirm myself, but now we must enjoy what we have achieved.”

Meanwhile, their top-four finish may have ended speculations about Ronaldo leaving the club with PSG, Manchester United and a few other clubs predicted his next destination.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Juventus players had to wait a little more on the pitch to confirm their place in next season's Champions League after defeating Bologna by 4-1 in the final game of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo was not featured in the match but the Portuguese striker was among Juve players monitoring the result between Napoli and Verona which finished in a 1-1 draw.

Federico Chiesa opened the for the scoring Bianconeri while Alvaro Morata scored a brace and Adrien Rabiot was also among the scorers.

Authors
Oluwatomiwa Babalola photo
Oluwatomiwa Babalola
Tags
World