Maurizio Sarri has told his Juventus squad they must adapt to Cristiano Ronaldo’s game after hailing him as the “player who makes the difference”.
The Portugal international plundered 28 goals in his debut campaign for the Bianconeri following his move from Real Madrid, guiding them to an eighth successive Serie A title.
He picked up where he left off in Juve’s first pre-season game ahead of the 2019-20 season on Sunday, scoring a typically clinical goal in his side’s 3-2 International Champions Cup defeat to Tottenham.
Speaking ahead of an ICC clash against Italian rivals Inter on Wednesday, head coach Sarri made it clear Ronaldo will be the focal point of his side in the forthcoming campaign.
The defeat to Tottenham also saw the debut of Matthijs de Ligt, the new signing from Ajax who arrived last week for an initial fee of €75million.
Sarri described the 19-year-old as a “phenomenal prospect” but would not be drawn on whether he will command an immediate place in his preferred starting XI.