There’s no denying that grabbing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid was a stunning coup for Juventus. It’s alleged that the standing ovation he received for his epic overhead kick in the Champions League was behind a decision to move to pastures new, but the truth is it only helped in terms of making the player’s mind up. Whatever the machinations of the deal, it had long been known by Real that Ronaldo was going to leave. No more posturing, this time it was for real. The reason? Florentino Perez was steadfast in his refusal not to raise Cristiano’s salary to the level the Portuguese desired, despite the striker’s understanding of a gentleman’s agreement being in place that was to see his wages soar from €21 million a year to €30m.

Goodbye Cristiano

That the president continued to avoid sitting down for talks was evidence enough that he’d had a change of heart, believing simply that, at his age, Ronaldo wasn’t worth the money. For someone with as big an ego as Ronaldo, that was a bitter pill to swallow, although if you talk to those behind the scenes at the Santiago Bernabeu, they’ll tell you that the relationship was never great and that the pair just tolerated each other for the greater good. The player will go on to add another chapter to his legend in Serie A, but what about the team he leaves behind? How will they cope without their talisman? Well, for a start, there’s no longer an incessant need to get the ball to Ronaldo. Much of the reason Real were so poor in certain La Liga games in 2017/18 was that of having to utilise the option of the Portuguese rather than, on many occasions, playing what would’ve been the more sensible pass. We’ve already seen, both in pre-season and against Getafe, the freedom that Real’s front line now have.

Welcome Back, Karim

Karim Benzema’s movement is again that of a traditional No.9, which he is, rather than the supplementary attacker he was made to be. His goal output last year was poor of course, but one can argue that half the time he was expected to service the needs of his partner. The Frenchman’s excellence suggests he was deserving of being more than a ‘sidekick,’ and back in his rightful role, we’re more likely to see the striker back to somewhere approaching his best.