Juventus

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo said the transfer rumors that have swirled around superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo since the club's Champions League elimination by Porto are "normal."

The Bianconeri were knocked out in the round of 16 on Tuesday on the away goals tiebreaker after the teams each scored four goals across the two matches. Ronaldo didn't score in either of the fixtures.

Jose Felix Diaz of Marca reported Friday that Ronaldo and Real Madrid would both "jump at the chance to reunite" after he left the Spanish club in 2018.

Pirlo addressed the speculation in his press conference Saturday:

"It's normal that he's disappointed, as is the whole squad. And it's normal there be rumors after an elimination.

"He is the most talked about footballer in the world alongside [Lionel] Messi—people are always talking about him. It's worth reminding that he has always done well.

"He has 90 goals in a hundred games for Juventus and has always shown his worth. It can happen that he doesn't score in a certain match, as has happened with others, and this creates rumors."

Ronaldo also made it clear his focus is helping Juve finish the 2020-21 season strong.

"True champions never break! Our focus is already in Cagliari, in the Serie A struggle, in the Italian Cup final and in everything that we can still achieve this season," he wrote Saturday on Instagram.

Pirlo, a former standout midfielder at AC Milan and Juventus, knows better than most the pressure that comes along with being a key player on top European club, and part of that is dealing with an endless stream of rumors, which are always amplified after a UCL elimination or failed domestic title pursuit.

Perhaps the Ronaldo situation will be revisited during the summer transfer window, but in the short term, Juve (52 points) will attempt to embark on an extended winning streak as they try to make up a 10-point deficit in the Serie A table as they trail Inter Milan (62) and AC Milan (56).

The Bianconeri are back in action Sunday when they travel to Sardegna Arena to face Cagliari.

Porto advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League despite suffering a 3-2 defeat in extra time to Juventus on Tuesday at Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy.

The Portuguese giants moved on via away goals on a 4-4 aggregate scoreline after having won 2-1 in the first leg.

2019 ❌
2020 ❌
2021 ❌

Cristiano isn't the Champions League's finest anymore... pic.twitter.com/zAfikIVpdb

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 9, 2021

Sergio Oliveira delivered the decisive blow on a free kick in the 115th minute. His long-range effort tucked narrowly inside the post and past a diving Wojciech Szczesny.

SÉRGIO OLIVEIRA, FOR THE WIN? 😱 pic.twitter.com/g1X5PBDGSt

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 9, 2021

Adrien Rabiot got one back for the hosts two minutes later to add even more drama. Juventus' comeback attempt ran out of steam, though. A brace from Federico Chiesa wasn't enough.

Porto appeared to put one foot in the quarterfinals thanks to a 19th-minute goal by Oliveira from the penalty spot. The contact between Merih Demiral and Mehdi Taremi was minimal but enough for the referee to point to the spot.

Juventus in trouble. 🤭 pic.twitter.com/8LP123pmjz

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 9, 2021

In general, it was a dreadful first half for Juventus.

Juve manager Andrea Pirlo likely had that one-goal deficit in mind when he listed Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute for a 3-1 win over Lazio on Saturday. It was a big call since a defeat almost certainly would've ended any hope for the club to win a 10th successive league title.

Early on, the rest Ronaldo received didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t create a chance, complete a dribble or have a shot on target in the first half vs. Porto 👀

(h/t @StatmanDave) pic.twitter.com/qnix8mkOIe

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 9, 2021

With their Champions League lives hanging in the balance, Juventus had little choice but to throw everything forward in the second half. They looked like a different team almost immediately after play resumed.

In the 49th minute, Ronaldo got involved as he laid the ball off for Chiesa, who fired an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.

Qué Golazo Federico Chiesa! Juve get one back 👀 pic.twitter.com/q3VnOF4jsq

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 9, 2021

The momentum was starting to shift in Juventus' direction even before Porto encountered another big setback.

Taremi was already on a yellow card when he kicked the ball away after the referee blew his whistle in the 53rd minute. Inside a largely empty venue, the Iranian forward couldn't claim he didn't hear the whistle in this case, and he earned a second yellow.

Only minutes later, Chiesa nearly capitalized on the man advantage when he got in behind the Porto defense. He was unable to make good contact with the ball in front of an open goal and saw his shot hit off the post.

Juan Cuadrado presented the Italian winger with another chance in the 63rd minute, and he didn't miss this time. Chiesa powered his header past Agustin Marchesin.

Heads up, Chiesa gets his second 💥 pic.twitter.com/wHENkrSK7S

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 9, 2021

From that moment on, the question seemed to become whether Juventus would find a fourth goal (on aggregate) during regulation or would require extra time.

Chiesa eluded Jesus Corona in the 18-yard box, only for Marchesin to make a point-blank save in the 82nd minute. In injury time, Alvaro Morata was fractionally offside to wipe out a tidy finish into the bottom right corner, and Cuadrado had a left-footed shot carom off the crossbar.

Of course, Porto just needed one goal to effectively end the tie. They lived on the razor's edge for much of Tuesday night but did just enough to stymie Juve.

The outcome is nothing short of a disaster for Pirlo's side, which is out of the Champions League round of 16 for the second straight season.

Signing Ronaldo in 2018 was a sign of Juve's desperation in pursuit of European glory, having dominated domestically. Instead, they remain unable to get over the hump after reaching the final in 2015 and 2017.

          

What's Next?

Porto await the results of the quarterfinal draw on March 19 to learn their opponents for the next round. In the meantime, they will hope to make up some ground on league leaders Sporting on Sunday at home to Pacos de Ferreira. Juventus look to close the 10-point gap between themselves and Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Saturday against Cagliari.

Juventus announced it has triggered the €18.5 million clause to make Weston McKennie's move from Schalke permanent.

OFFICIAL: Juventus have turned @WMckennie's loan move from Schalke into a permanent deal for $22M 🌟 pic.twitter.com/H64UaydS02

— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 3, 2021

Juve initially paid €4.5 million to loan McKennie in August for the 2020-21 season. He has since become a staple of the midfield, making 14 starts in 21 Serie A appearances.

The loan initially looked a bit risky for the 22-year-old. Going from Schalke to Juventus was undoubtedly a step up in terms of prestige, but playing time looked like it might be hard to come by. Arthur just arrived from Barcelona, while Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot were holdovers from last season.

Y’all won’t stop pestering me for it so here it is: I’m skeptical of Weston McKennie to Juve. They do not have a good track record of developing young players, & it remains to be seen if his playing style is a good fit for the team. I hope I am SO wrong, but I’m worried.

— Aaron West (@oeste) August 26, 2020

However, McKennie has given first-year manager Andrea Pirlo little choice but to regularly include him in the lineup. His four Serie A goals are fourth-highest in the squad, and WhoScored.com rates him as Juve's seventh-best player (6.92) in league play this season.

Most tellingly, Pirlo has started McKennie in four Champions League matches and brought him on as a substitute in another two fixtures. The United States men's national team star scored in Juve's 3-0 group-stage victory over Barcelona on Dec. 8.

WESTON MCKENNIE!

The goal, the celebration 😍 pic.twitter.com/ycOTpt8Ym0

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) December 8, 2020

Signing McKennie beyond this season became a no-brainer for both parties.

One way or another, his permanent departure from Schalke was inevitable as the German side sits at the bottom of the Bundesliga with nine points through 23 matches. His loan deal was precipitated by Schalke's financial situation, which will only get worse in the event they get relegated.

For Juventus, this could be a home run.

McKennie's transfer fee could eventually climb to €25 million, which would still wind up being a bargain. Transfermarkt estimated McKennie's value at $27.5 million in December, up from $24.2 million in October. In the event Juventus ever wanted to send him elsewhere, they would have little trouble recouping their investment and then some.

Cristiano Ronaldo's pet cat is going to be all right.

According to TMZ Sports, Pepe, a hairless Sphynx cat, was run over by a car after leaving the family residence in Turin, Italy. Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo's girlfriend, told the Spanish magazine InStyle that the cat is recovering in Spain.

"It was close to death, and after a month-and-a-half in intensive care at the vets, we've decided my sister Ivana should look after it," Rodriguez said.

With Pepe in good hands, Ronaldo led Juventus to a dominant 3-0 victory over Crotone in Monday's Italian Serie A contest.

He scored two goals, while USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie added the third.

Juventus and United States men's national team midfielder Weston McKennie had his home burglarized during Juventus' 4-0 win over SPAL in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

According to ESPN's Andrew Cesare Richardson, authorities believe the burglary was planned ahead of time with the knowledge that McKennie would not be at home.

The burglars reportedly took "branded shoes and clothes, as well as several other objects of value."

McKennie came off the bench in the 87th minute Wednesday to help finish off Juve's impressive victory.

The Texas native is playing for Juventus on loan from Schalke 04, and he has scored four goals in 21 appearances across all competitions during the 2020-21 season thus far.

McKennie, 22, is one of a number of fast-rising American youngsters alongside the likes of Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest, Giovanni Reyna, Tyler Adams, Josh Sargent and Timothy Weah.

Although no known suspects have been reported in the burglary, Richardson noted that the authorities did a sweep of McKennie's home to check for DNA evidence.

For years, one of the biggest debates in world soccer centered around whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi was the better player.

Following Juventus' 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, Ronaldo downplayed any competitive rivalry with Messi on the pitch, per ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden: 

"I have always had a cordial relationship with Messi. As I have said before, for 12, 13, 14 years [I have been] sharing prizes with him.

"I never saw him as a rival. He always tried the best for his team and I tried the best for mine. I always got on well with him. I am sure he will say the same if you ask him.

"But we know in football people always look for a rivalry to create more excitement."

Regardless of what Ronaldo says, he and Messi have been inextricably linked for more than a decade.

Ronaldo finished runner-up to Kaka in the 2007 Ballon d'Or voting, with Messi coming in third. The Portuguese star earned his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 as Messi placed second. One or the other has lifted the trophy in 11 of the past 12 years.

Ronaldo and Messi were also on opposite sides for one of the sport's biggest derbies for a period of nine seasons while the former starred for Real Madrid. Barcelona claimed six La Liga titles to two for Madrid during that stretch, but Los Blancos had a slight edge in the Champions League, winning the competition four times to Barca's two.

Their joint involvement in El Clasico only added to the Ronaldo/Messi dynamic.

Time waits for no man, even when that man is a legendary athlete.

Tuesday's fixture carried an added level of meaning because it might be the last time Ronaldo and Messi cross paths in a meaningful match. The former turns 36 in February, while latter is 33 and might wind up playing elsewhere in 2021-22 after he was unable to secure a transfer from Barcelona earlier this year.

Clearly there will be a time when Ronaldo and Messi are no longer two of the best players in the world, but it will feel odd nonetheless when that's no longer the case.

Juventus announced Friday that Cristiano Ronaldo no longer needs to isolate at home after a negative diagnostic test for COVID-19. 

Juventus play Spezia in Serie A on Sunday and return to the Champions League on Wednesday against Ferencvaros.

The Portuguese football federation announced Oct. 13 the five-time Ballon d'Or winner tested positive for COVID-19 while on national team duty. He was flagged for a second positive test while isolating, which prolonged his return.

Not surprisingly, Juve's fortunes have suffered without Ronaldo leading the attack. They drew with Crotone and Hellas Verona in Serie A and suffered a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday.

The future of manager Andrea Pirlo is already the subject of speculation. The Daily Mail's Alvise Cagnazzo reported Juventus are still behind the legendary former midfielder but "have plans for a worst-case scenario."

Getting Ronaldo back will undoubtedly be a boost for the club since his absence laid bare how reliant the nine-time reigning league champions have become on the 35-year-old. His three goals are still tied for highest on the team across all competitions.

It's unclear whether Pirlo will immediately insert Ronaldo into the starting squad for Sunday or instead give him a more gradual transition back to game action.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona after being left out of the squad. 

On Tuesday, ESPN reported "the Italian champions failed to declare the Portugal international had tested negative in time" to be eligible to play.

According to ESPN: "UEFA protocol states a player has until 24 hours before kickoff to return a negative test before he can be declared available. As Juve and Barca meet on Wednesday and no negative test was presented to UEFA, Ronaldo will not be available for selection."

Juventus confirmed on Wednesday that Ronaldo is not in the matchday squad, officially ruling him out of the contest:

#JuveBarça, ecco i convocati di Mister @Pirlo_official! ⚫️⚪️ #ForzaJuve #JuveUCL pic.twitter.com/90TnMavCcM

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) October 28, 2020

Ronaldo tested positive for the coronavirus Oct. 13 while with the Portugal national team.

Italy's sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora, suggested the 35-year-old forward may have broken COVID-19 protocols by traveling back to the country after testing positive, per Ryan Kelly of Goal. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner denied those allegations in an Instagram post.

"I did not break any protocol," Ronaldo said. "They're saying that I broke Italian laws, but it's all a lie. I spoke with my team, and we have the responsibility to do things right. Everything was done with authorization. Principally for the Italian man whose name I'm not going to say, it's a lie. I abided by all the protocols."

Juventus kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday. Alvaro Morata, who filled the void created by Ronaldo's absence, scored both goals.

"Playing in the Champions League with this shirt is a great emotion," Morata told reporters. "We want to get right to the end, and we're fighting for this. It was important to win against a team that can give you problems because they are fast and very young."

Morata will likely play the same role against Barcelona with Ronaldo still sidelined.

It will also delay the latest chapter in the longtime rivalry between Ronaldo and Barca's Lionel Messi until Dec. 8, when the clubs are scheduled to face off at Camp Nou to close out the UCL group stage.

Juventus announced Wednesday that United States men's national team star Weston McKennie tested positive for COVID-19.

"In compliance with the regulations and the protocol, the team entered into fiduciary isolation this evening," the club said. "This procedure will allow all persons negative to the controls to carry out regular training and match activities, but will not allow contact with people outside of the group."

Juventus also confirmed under-23 player Lucas Rosa and a member of the U23 staff tested positive.

McKennie is the second Juve senior player to test positive in as many days, though Cristiano Ronaldo was on national team duty with Portugal when the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed his positive result.

Ronaldo has since returned to Turin but will remain at home until his period of isolation is over.

.@Cristiano returns to Turin: https://t.co/LnC5E0fsMi pic.twitter.com/4eA01dmTeN

— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) October 14, 2020

Juventus announced Oct. 3 that two of their staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the club into "fiduciary isolation." They were scheduled to play Napoli on the following day, but Napoli declined to show up, citing recommendations from local health officials.

Both McKennie and Ronaldo will have to quarantine for at least 10 days before they're permitted to resume playing.

That will rule them out for Saturday's Serie A match with Crotone and the Champions League opener Tuesday against Dynamo Kyiv. They could be available to take the pitch Oct. 25, when Juve play Hellas Verona. Three days later, the nine-time reigning Serie A champions play Barcelona in the Champions League.

UEFA have confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo must provide a negative COVID-19 test no less than one week before Juventus play Barcelona in order to play in the match. pic.twitter.com/3TrYbqPflC

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 14, 2020

McKennie signed with Juventus in August on a one-year loan from Bundesliga side Schalke. Juve can make the move permanent by paying €18.5 million.

The 22-year-old has started in each of the club's first two league matches.

A Nevada federal judge will hear arguments in the case regarding the rape allegation against Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Ken Ritter of the Associated Press. 

Kathryn Mayorga says Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel suite in 2009 after meeting at a nightclub. The Juventus star says the two had consensual sex, but the two sides reached a confidentiality agreement in 2010 and Mayorga was paid $375,000.

Mayorga's attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, argues she "was pressured by Ronaldo's representatives and lacked the legal capacity to sign a non-disclosure agreement," per Ritter.

"The court must decide whether Mayorga lacked the mental capacity to assent to the settlement agreement," U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey wrote.

Mayorga filed the lawsuit against Ronaldo in 2018 after details of their agreement leaked to European publications. The 37-year-old is seeking at least $200,000 in damages for conspiracy, defamation, breach of contract, coercion and fraud.

With a judge agreeing to hear the case in public, details of the 2010 agreement could potentially be unsealed.

It's not currently known whether Ronaldo or Mayorga must attend the trial in person. No date for the proceedings has been set.