Ronaldo crowned Italian league player of the year

MILAN  – Cristiano Ronaldo was named the Italian league’s player of the year on Monday following his debut season at Juventus.

Ronaldo was at the Gran Gala del Calcio in Milan to collect his prize, instead of attending the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris where he was third in the voting for best player in the world.

The Juventus forward turned up about an hour before the main award was announced, arriving more than two hours after the other guests, and waited outside in the car until the moment came for him to go on stage to pick up the prize for his place in the team of the season.

“It’s an honor to hold this award,” Ronaldo said in Italian. “I thank my Juventus teammates.

“I’m very happy to play in Italy, it’s a very difficult league. Thanks to everyone for having voted for me. I want to do as well this year, too.”



For the first time at the Italian ceremony there were also awards for female players. Roma and Italy forward Manuela Giugliano won the top prize.

All the awards are voted for by a mix of footballers, coaches, referees and journalists.

Ronaldo signed for Juventus from Real Madrid in July 2018 and helped the Bianconeri to their eighth successive Serie A title.

The 34-year-old Ronaldo scored 28 goals in all competitions for Juventus, including 21 in the league.


Gian Piero Gasperini won the award for best coach after leading Atalanta to third place and a Champions League berth.

Atalanta was the team of the season, ahead of Juventus and Italian Cup winner Lazio.


“This award I share with the whole club, all the players, the whole of Bergamo because we did something really amazing, all of us together,” Gasperini said.

“We did incredibly last season, it was unthinkable, including the Italian Cup final. It’s because of that that we’re getting all these awards.”

Gasperini beat former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and Bologna’s Siniša Mihajlović.

Brescia’s Sandro Tonali won the award for the best Serie B player after the 19-year-old forward helped to win the second division title last season.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LOOK: A naked Chiellini photobombs Ronaldo-Bellanova pic

Looks like a win of Juventus over AC Milan last Sunday was not the only one that hit the headlines, as Giorgio Chiellini — in his birthday suit — made it there, too.

A picture of AC Milan’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Raoul Bellanova had circulated like wildfire on social media since a naked Chiellini appeared to have photobombed it.


In the photo posted on Bellanova’s twitter account, he posed for a picture with Ronaldo outside the Juventus dressing room after the game.

However, the frame caught a nude Chiellini seemingly unaware of Bellanova and Ronaldo’s picture-taking. When Bellanova posted the photo on Twitter, it quickly spread over social media and people were quick to point out the gaffe.



Bellanova eventually took down the photo and issued an apology in his Instagram account.

“I am deeply sorry… I apologize first of all with Giorgio Chiellini. It was not my intention.” /kga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mourinho taunts crowd as Man United beats Juventus

TURIN, Italy — After listening to taunts from the Juventus crowd for 90 minutes, Jose Mourinho couldn’t help but pay them back in kind.

Mourinho had to be escorted off the pitch Wednesday after celebrating Manchester United’s 2-1 comeback win over the Italian side in the Champions League by cupping his hand to his ear to the crowd after the final whistle. The gesture sparked a small altercation with Juventus players that overshadowed one of the most important results of the season for United, which has struggled domestically but now has a great chance of reaching the knockout stage in Europe.

“I came here to do my job and I was insulted for 90 minutes,” Mourinho said. “I wouldn’t do that gesture again but I don’t think I offended anyone and at the time it seemed like the appropriate response to those who had insulted all my family, apart from my Inter one too.”


Mourinho is unpopular among Juventus fans after managing bitter rival Inter Milan for three years. After United’s 1-0 loss to Juventus at home two weeks ago, he responded to the goading of the Italian fans by holding up three fingers toward them, denoting the treble of titles — Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup — he won with Inter in the 2009-10 season.

This time he had another win to celebrate, after watching his team fight back from Cristiano Ronaldo’s spectacular opening goal. Juan Mata leveled with a free kick four minutes from time and Alex Sandro netted an own goal in the final minute as United blew their Champions League group wide open.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci angrily approached Mourinho as he cupped his ear at the Bianconeri fans and the United coach was escorted off the pitch by a UEFA official and some members of his staff.

It was Juventus’ first defeat in any competition this season.

“When I work for a club like Manchester United I need to forget my past as in those 90 minutes I represent Manchester United,” Mourinho said. “But the others (Juventus fans) didn’t forget.

“And it is a great joy for me because we won against a super team, and not because they are the enemy of Inter.”

Juventus, which was the only team in the Champions League still with a perfect record, remained top of Group H but is only two points ahead of United. Valencia, which earlier beat Young Boys 3-1, is two points further back.

“We shouldn’t have given away those free kicks, we’re giving away a lot of those at the moment, it was the only way United was going to score,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “But the team did well, we are still at the top of the group and we have two matches which will allow us to finish first. It’s OK to lose against United, but seeing how the match went it leaves us with a bit of a bitter taste.”


Allegri was asked if he would have reacted similarly to Mourinho.

“No, I leave the pitch immediately to avoid reacting,” he said. “I only get angry, rightly, with my team when they go to sleep every now and then.”

United played better than it did when the two sides met in Manchester but Juventus had a number of opportunities and had already hit the woodwork twice before Ronaldo struck in the 65th minute.

Bonucci floated a ball over the top of the defense and Ronaldo watched it over his shoulder before volleying into the top right corner.

The Portuguese superstar immediately ran to the corner flag, lifted up his shirt and pointed at his impressive stomach muscles.

Ronaldo is the all-time record scorer in the Champions League with 121 goals, but this was his first in the competition for Juventus — although he missed one match through suspension after his red card against Valencia.

Allegri raised his eyebrows and gave a smile of appreciation at the goal.

Juventus seemed certain to be heading for all three points, with United struggling to carve out clear-cut scoring opportunities, but Mata hit a free kick into the top left corner in the 86th minute and that seemed to inspire Jose Mourinho’s side.

Minutes later, Marouane Fellaini flicked on a free kick and the ball ricocheted around near the far post before going in off Juventus defender Alex Sandro.

source: sports.inquirer.net