MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Italian champions Juventus from Real Madrid on a four-year contract for 100 million euros ($117.34 million) signalling the end of nine years at the Spanish giants filled with trophies and goals.
The two European giants on Tuesday announced the much-anticipated deal for the five-times world player of the year who joined Real from Manchester United in 2008 for a then world record 80 million pounds ($106 million).
The 33-year-old Portugal forward is the Spanish club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions and won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with them.
The signing of the latest Ballon d’Or winner and top scorer in the Champions League for the last six seasons represents a major coup for Juve, who have had a stranglehold on the Italian title since 2012 but have not won Europe’s top prize since 1996.
The signing also strikes a blow for the profile of Serie A against La Liga, which has now lost two of its three most famous players in the last year after Paris St Germain signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world record fee last August.
Real paid tribute to Ronaldo, who is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, in a lengthy statement on their website and said the player had asked to be transferred. (Reuters)
