Champs never tire of new challenges, Pele tells Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to end a nine-year Real Madrid stay to sign for Juventus is the right move, according to Pele. Ronaldo agreed a four-year deal with the Serie A champions to complete a €112million transfer from Madrid on Tuesday.

The Portugal captain said he wants to start a “new cycle” in his career at the age of 33, having won four Champions League titles in the past five years at Madrid. And Pele, who spent 18 years at Santos before ending his career with New York Cosmos, understands Ronaldo’s decision.

“Congratulations, Cristiano,” the Brazil icon wrote on Twitter. “It was hard to join another side after so long at Santos but it was the right move. Champions never tire of new challenges.”

Signing Ronaldo brings Juventus’ objective of winning the Champions League closer to reality, coach Massimiliano Allegri believes.

Winning the Champions League has always been the goal and the signing of Ronaldo certainly gives us a greater chance to achieve it,” said Allegri.

MILAN:

DEAL PROMPTS STRIKE FROM FIAT WORKERS

Juventus spending €112million on Cristiano Ronaldo has been followed by an Italian trade union announcing Fiat workers in Melfi will go on strike.

Juve, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and CNH Industrial (CNHI) are all owned by the holding company Exor, which is controlled by the Agnelli family.

The Serie A champions’ move for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has prompted a fierce response from the Unione Sindicale di Base (USB), which declared workers at a plant in the south of the country will down tools from July 15 until July 17. “It is unacceptable that while FCA and CNHI workers continue to make huge economic sacrifices, the company then spends hundreds of millions of euros on the purchase of a player,” a statement from the USB read.