TURIN: Serie A powerhouse Juventus Football Club confirmed on Tuesday that Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be joining the team this summer on a 4-year contract, effectively ending his time at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo will be paid 112 million euros ($131.4 million) by Juventus, making his transfer the fourth most expensive of all time in club football history. His value continues to grow, as he was reportedly bought by Madrid in the 2009-10 season for 94 million euros from Manchester United.
Real Madrid and Ronaldo announced the move on Twitter as well, which attracted emotional reactions from fans across the globe. The 33-year-old played for 9 long years for the LaLiga giants, having hit a club record 450 goals in 438 appearances, which includes the UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo is an equal 4-time Champions League and Ballon D’Or winner during this time period, playing a crucial role in the club’s success.
Ironically, Ronaldo’s first match in Juventus colours is expected to be against Real Madrid in the pre-season International Champions Cup tournament in the USA at FedEx Field in Washington on Saturday, 4 August, according to BBC Sport.
SportsPro Media reports that off the field, Ronaldo has agreed to participate in a blood donation drive with the Associazione Volontari Italiani Sangue (AVIS), the Italian Blood Volunteering Association in the town of Bellano as he would be appearing on posters and videos encouraging people to donate blood.
