Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri said that Cristiano Ronaldo was relieved to have finally broken his duck from free-kick situations. Ronaldo scored from a free-kick on Saturday against local rivals Torino.
While the Portuguese star was known for his proficiency from dead-ball situations at his previous clubs, this was the first time that he scored from a free-kick since joining ‘The Old Lady’ in 2018.
“I honestly didn’t think this was bothering him, but at the end of the game he said: ‘At last!'” Sarri told reporters. With the goal, Ronaldo also became the first Juventus player in 59 years to score more than 25 times in a Serie A campaign.
Sarri said that he has been able to convince forward Paulo Dybala to play closer to Ronaldo and not track back into his own half to get the ball.
“I have a strong rapport with Dybala, we are honest with each other and I never had the slightest doubts about him. He was just a little unlucky last season, I always told him how he should train and play, just as he told me what he thought,” he said.
“I think I’ve managed to convince him that he needs to play closer to Ronaldo and not track back so much into our own half to get the ball.”