Cristiano Ronaldo could leave Juventus if they don't qualify for Champions League
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo could leave the club this summer if the Serie A giants fail to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League.
Juve have won nine titles in a row since the start of the 2011/12 season, but that run will soon be broken as Inter are 13 points ahead with only five games of the campaign left to play. For Juve, there is even a danger they could miss out on the top four altogether.
Andrea Pirlo’s team are currently fourth in the table, level on points with AC Milan one place behind them. Recent surges into the top four from Atalanta and Napoli, who are second and third respectively, have made the competition for places suddenly much fiercer.
Inter are well clear at the top and will win their first title since 2009/10, but only two points separate second and fifth in the battle for the remaining Champions League places.
Juve signed serial European champion Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018 with the specific ambition of finally winning the Champions League for the first time since 1996. But there have been rumours for months that his wages are an increasingly unmanageable financial burden on the club, while the latest updates suggest failure to qualify for the Champions League could see him move on.
Tuttosport writes that without the lucrative income that the Champions League brings, Ronaldo’s annual salary, estimated at €60m gross per year, is too much to bear.
Ronaldo himself is also said to not be prepared to entertain a season outside of the Champions League. At 36, the Portuguese megastar is running out of time if he wants to win a sixth title in the competition, matching the record held by Real Madrid legend Paco Gento.
Where Ronaldo could go might cause an issue. Paris Saint-Germain and former club Manchester United are billed as potential destinations, but football finances globally remain stretched and the latter in particular are unlikely to sanction an expensive approach with only short-term benefit.
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