It has been more than a year since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus. After giving several match-winning performances over the course of nine years, the Portuguese star finally parted ways with Real Madrid and transferred to the Italian giants.
Since the official announcement was made in June of 2018, CR7 has already impacted the team more than one can imagine. This transfer has done wonders for Juventus. Not only has he strengthened their already well-equipped attack comprising of Dybala, Higuain and Mandzukic, but he’s also inspired fans and players in an entirely new way.
It would not be wrong to say that the five time Ballon d’Or winner has completely changed the Juventus brand. From winning matches to rebuilding the brand, let’s have a look at a few prominent ways in which Cristiano Ronaldo has influenced Juventus since his transfer.
The Financial Benefits
Ronaldo has a four year contract with Juventus that pays him £26 million per year. And after adding in the transfer fee of £100 million and taxes, the total amount Juventus paid for Ronaldo is almost £300 million. Though it may seem expensive, it’s pure genius as a business plan.
The club knows that to earn money, have to spend money. The team has already made a lot more than what they have spent on this specific deal. The stock market price of Juventus has also skyrocketed since Ronaldo joined the side. T
Team’s Catalyst
Ronaldo has been a very effective player for the club, and you can keep up with his latest performances by visiting xscores. But he is not just winning games for Juventus. He is also making a significant difference in the dressing room. He is not only inspiring young players to aim higher, but he’s also had a significant effect on already established players like Mandzukic and Higuain. He is essentially the team’s catalyst.
It can be clearly seen that since Ronaldo came over, a few players have put extra effort into their training. And frankly, who would not be inspired by the presence of one of the world’s greatest players.
The Digital Impact
The moment Juventus signed CR7, it gained millions of fans instantly. And this difference is very visible in the digital numbers. According to an estimate, the club has gained more than 37 million fans since Ronaldo’s joining. The major visible difference was seen when Juventus Instagram account gained more than a million fans in one day right after the announcement.
And in that same month, 3.5 million were added on Instagram, 1.7 million on Facebook and 500,000 on Youtube.
Champions League Dream
Even though some would say that Ronaldo has not really made any significant difference in regards to the team’s European ambitions, the fans are keeping this dream alive. Ronaldo represented Juventus for the first time in Europe last season and scored six goals in the competition.
However, the effort was in vain as Juve got eliminated in the quarter-finals, losing to Ajax by one. However, Ronaldo gave the fans something to cheer when he scored a hat trick against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16.
Juventus was down and out in that game, and he single-handedly turned the result of the match with those three goals. Performances like these are the exact reason why fans believe so much in him and are hoping that he will finally guide Juventus to lifting that all-important trophy.
In the current season so far he has been very quiet and scored just twice in the group stage. However, Juventus still finished top in their group and are hoping CR7 will do a repeat of last year’s performance in the round of 16. With a star like him, you never know when he will start winning matches for you and take you all the way to the crown.