Cristiano Ronaldo wants to win again: of course

Cristiano Ronaldo still feels like the best. And he's still young enough to begin another winning streak at Juventus. At 33 years and five months old, with a career full of triumphs behind him (five Champions League titles, three Premier League titles, two Liga titles, a European Championship with Portugal, and five Ballon d'Or winners, to name a few), he's "thrilled," "proud," and "ready for a new challenge." Speaking to 200 journalists from around the world for "CR7 Day," at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, the Portuguese champion called his new life in black and white "a very important stage in my career." Because—he clarifies—“I didn't come here on vacation. I'm different from the others: there are those who think that at 33 or 34 their career is over and they go off to play in Qatar or China. I, on the other hand, still feel very young. I signed a four-year contract with Juventus and I want to continue to set an example both on and off the pitch. I can't wait to get started. I really enjoy challenges, I feel ready and confident for this next important step, even though the Italian league is difficult and very tactical. I'm different from the others, and I'll prove it to Juventus too.” Regarding his age, Ronaldo improvises a quasi-duet with the translator: “I'm 23,” he says. And he smiles, in front of his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, his partner Georgina Rodriguez, and his agent Jorge Mendes, seated in the front row of the “Gianni and Umberto Agnelli” room. His arrival at Juventus is also a commercial deal—CR7 is a global icon who boosts revenue—Ronaldo knows this well, but he reassures the fans: "I want to leave my mark on Juventus too, and continue to win. Winning the Champions League is very difficult, but Juventus has come very close in recent years, I hope to bring them luck." His first training session in the black and white jersey is scheduled for July 30th, with his debut on the pitch on August 12th, the day of Juventus' traditional celebration in Villar Perosa, the Agnelli family's fiefdom, which this year will be far too small to accommodate all the Juventus fans. "The decision to come to Juve," he explains, "was easy. I'd made it a long time ago, but not on the night of the Champions League final (Real Madrid beat Liverpool in Kiev). I didn't know it then. Teammates and friends told me I could have come to Juve sooner. It's the best club in Italy, they have a great president, an excellent coach. Juve's," he smiles, "was the only offer I received." Ronaldo is happy to have one opponent back on his path: Ancelotti, who was one of his coaches at Real Madrid and who will now take on Juve as coach of Napoli, the Bianconeri's last staunch rival in Serie A. "I haven't spoken to him lately," says CR7, "but he's helped me a lot. It'll be great to meet him again."