'Cristiano Ronaldo was not easy to manage', claims former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri

Maurizio Sarri, who coached Cristiano Ronaldo during his short time in charge of Juventus in the 2019/20 campaign as the Old Lady picked up the Serie A title, says that it was not an easy task managing Ronaldo. Sarri replaced Massimiliano Allegri as Juve boss in the summer of 2019 and despite winning the Scudetto, was sacked from his role as manager.

Sarri calls Ronaldo a 'multinational company'

Sarri said that managing Ronaldo is not easy, despite his incredible numbers. "Ronaldo's management is not simple, from all points of view," Sarri told radio station Sport Italia. "He is a multinational company; he has personal interests that must coincide with football. His interests go beyond what is normal, beyond the team or club. I am a coach, not a manager. Ronaldo, however, brings the numbers at the end of the year. But in recent years, I hear a lot about players and little about teams."

'The Scudetto was taken for granted', claims Sarri

Sarri also said his success at the club was not appreciated as Juve, having replaced him with Andrea Pirlo as manager, only clinched Champions League football on the final day as results elsewhere saw them sneak into fourth place.

"The Scudetto was taken for granted at Juventus, both on the outside and on the inside," he added. "We didn't even celebrate. Everyone went to dinner on their own."

"Probably the best year to go to Juventus was this, the fourth place was celebrated. In football, victory is not a foregone conclusion. Sometimes you work hard and you can't win."

Jorginho can be a Ballon d'Or candidate according to Sarri

Sarri then went on to talk about Jorginho, whom he had managed at Empoli, Napoli, and Chelsea, saying that Jorginho was finally getting the recognition he deserved and went on to say that he should be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or should Italy manage to win the Euro 2020.

"If he wins the European Championship, he is a candidate for the Ballon d'Or," Sarri said. "He is a refined player, and that's why everyone doesn't understand him. He makes everything seem easy -- it is his greatness. When I went to Chelsea, we managed to snatch him from Manchester City. At first, it was hard to understand him, the fans, the journalists, now I see that he is appreciated. He was also the captain of Chelsea."

(Image Credits: AP)