Speculations surrounding football icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s future, driven by reports that the Juventus forward wants to leave the Turin-based club this summer, have now been further fueled by a cryptic Instagram post he made.
The legendary 36-year-old Portuguese striker posted a 373-word address to fans, eulogising the “ups and downs” of any top player and reflecting on the lacklustre performance of Juventus this season.
“This year we couldn’t win Serie A, congratulations to Inter for the well-deserved title. However, I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms. The Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup and the Serie A Top Scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win,” wrote Ronaldo.
He went on to pride himself on having achieved the goal he had set himself upon arriving in Italy, “to win the Championship, the Cup and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great football country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and a very own football culture.”
In the sign-off of the post, the Sporting alumnus, who has been playing for Juventus since 2018, with 99 goals and 22 assists in 129 appearances for the Turin team, with which he won four trophies, voiced sincere gratitude to everyone.
“Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey! We stand together!”
Shocked fans have been flocking to comment that perhaps this was, in effect, a goodbye message.
One user accused Ronaldo of planning to jump off a “sinking ship.”
Cristiano Ronaldo Future Fan Rumours
Ronaldo, whose contract expires in June 2022, has been linked with a possible Turin exit. As Inter Milan ended Juventus' dominance in Serie A by achieving their first title in 11 years, the forward’s frustrations had been reportedly mounting. The Italian team managed to secure a Champions League spot for next season with a weekend win during a crucial season-ender with Bologna.
As Juve sealed a 4-1 victory, Napoli's 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona allowed the Turin club to attain a Champions League berth by just one point.
Ronaldo, however, had not even been brought out onto the pitch by Juve manager Andrea Pirlo.
The 36-year-old, dubbed one of the greatest players of all time, has been linked with a host of clubs in recent weeks, including a return to his boyhood club Sporting. Earlier, Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, was reported as saying that she would try to persuade her son to return to Lisbon, according to Record.
Another option for the athlete is to double back to the Old Trafford and relive his Manchester United days.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Manchester United in 2003 at the age of 18, and went on to win the FA Cup in his first season. He then helped Manchester United win three successive Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
After a stint with Spain’s Real Madrid, the winner of five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Boots, was signed by Juventus in 2018.
Among speculations as to which club might land Cristiano Ronaldo, French giants Paris Saint-Germain have also been mooted.
Rumours intensified after a video seemed to show Ronaldo’s seven cars being removed from his Turin mansion earlier.
A group of men were seen taking the vehicles away from the property at 3 o’clock in the morning on 17 May, according to the Daily Mail.