Cristiano Ronaldo 'Pulled Up Grass, Sniffed It, and Chewed It' reveals former Juventus defender Gianluca Frabotta

The Portuguese star scored 101 goals during his time in Turin.

After a record-breaking stint at Real Madrid, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored 450 goals throughout his nine unforgettable years at Santiago Bernabeu, making him the most prolific striker the Blancos have ever seen. In 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Italy; few could have foreseen that he would be joining Juventus in Turin as his next stop.

With CR7 anxious to prove himself in a different nation and add to his outstanding collection of major honours, a surprise transfer was revealed.

He won the Coppa Italia and two Serie A championships during his three seasons with the Bianconeri. In 2019–20, he found the back of the net 37 times in all competitions, which was his most successful campaign.

But during Maurizio Sarri’s one-season tenure at the Allianz Stadium, Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo showed his unwillingness to heed Sarri’s tactical guidance, according to former Juventus defender Gianluca Frabotta.

Gianluca Frabotta reveals why Ronaldo chewed grass in Juventus training

Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Frabotta said: “During a tactical drill, Sarri was showing him the movements he should make in set pieces.”

“He was a little annoyed. He was different; he didn’t need instructions; he could sense where the ball would end up. To make the coach understand, he pulled up some grass, sniffed it, and chewed it,” Frabotta recalled.

Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 games during his three seasons with Juventus. Ironically, though, under Sarri, the Portuguese had his most prolific season in Italy, scoring 37 goals in 46 games. That season, Juventus won Serie A, the Old Lady’s last Serie A championship to date.

Frabotta also said sharing the field with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains one of the proudest moments of his career.

“From playing under the apartment building with the other kids, I found myself playing with Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. “Why should I stop believing in it?”

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