Juventus VP Pavel Nedved Lifts Lid on Club's Signing of Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus vice president Pavel Nedved has revealed that superstar signing Cristiano Ronaldo actively 'wanted' to join the club during the summer as he sought a fresh challenge in a new country after nine successful years at Real Madrid.
Nedved acknowledged that Juve, such is their elite level, find it difficult to improve their team with players better than they already have. But it is anticipated that Ronaldo certainly will give the club a lift, both in terms of his own quality and his impact on others.
"As a club we have made a step forward and we want to make it count in the Champions League, which has been set as our objective in the next years," Nedved told Czech outlet idnes.cz, translated into English for publication on JuveFC.com by Radek Jaska.
"[Ronaldo] is amazing from all aspects. He is a player who is working very hard on himself. He is a leader, he doesn't even have to speak and the players follow him," Neved added.
"Our youngsters have the opportunity to train with him and get even better. Cristiano is a normal guy who loves to win and wants to be the best at everything."
Asked how Juve managed to sign the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Nedved explained that completing the deal was easier than might be expected after the fee was lowered to €100m and it became apparent that the player was very keen to make the switch.
"Some might have thought it was crazy. Juventus are in position where it is very difficult to buy players who are better than those in our XI," he commented.
"Our sporting director once said that we could buy Ronaldo. We had known about his buyout clause which had been lowered to €100m, so it became more realistic. We had to see the president who looked at all aspects of the deal and eventually gave his agreement.
"It was the right decision to get Juventus where it belongs. We want to win the Champions League, so it was a good move.
"It was a lot easier given the fact he wanted join us. He wanted a change of environment and to leave Madrid. He has chosen our club and it is an honor for us. He managed to win in England and in Spain and we would be very happy if he can repeat it in Italy. We will give our all."
