Juventus director: Ronaldo bicycle kick set transfer in motion

In case you hadn’t noticed, Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Juventus.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner left Real Madrid for Serie A in an initial €100-million deal last week that shook football, despite the distraction of the 2018 World Cup.

On Monday, Juve sporting director Fabio Paratici explained the wheels of the blockbuster transfer were set in motion by Ronaldo’s stunning bicycle kick at the home of the Italian champion in the Champions League quarter-final.

Paratici asserts the 33-year-old was so enamoured with the generous reaction of the Turin crowd that he was immediately attracted to a potential future with the Bianconeri.

“The crazy idea was born after the first match here, when Cristiano received the standing ovation after his bicycle kick,” Paratici said, as quoted by Gianluca Di Marzio. “During the week, we heard from his agent (Jorge Mendes), he told me that Cristiano was struck by all the attention he received. He said ‘he would like to come and play for Juventus one day.’ I told him, there are many dreams but few come true.”

Though it may still be scarcely believable to many, that dream is now a reality.

Ronaldo will play in Italy for the first time in his career next season in front of a fan base which, if the reaction at Juventus Stadium back in April is anything to go by, already fully appreciates his talents.