Live
- 7-Year-old girl sexually assaulted in Tirupati
- PM Modi highlights govt's efforts to make Odisha prosperous and one of the fastest-growing states
- Hezbollah fires 200 rockets at northern, central Israel, injuring eight
- Allu Arjun's Family Appearance on Unstoppable with NBK Breaks Viewership Records
- Unity of hearts & minds essential for peace & progress, says J&K Lt Governor
- IPL 2025 Auction: I deserve Rs 18 cr price, says Chahal on being acquired by Punjab Kings
- EAM Jaishankar inaugurates new premises of Indian embassy in Rome
- Sailing vessel INSV Tarini embarks on second leg of expedition to New Zealand
- Over 15,000 people affected by rain-related disasters in Sri Lanka
- IPL 2025 Auction: RCB acquire Hazlewood for Rs 12.50 cr; Gujarat Titans bag Prasidh Krishna at Rs 9.5 crore
Serie A: Benching Ronaldo was my decision, says Allegri after Juventus' 2-2 draw
Ronaldo's stoppage time winner was ruled offside by VAR. (Reuters Photo)
- Juventus were held at a 2-2 draw by Udinese
- Ronaldo did not start the Serie A game
- He came off the bench at in the 60th minute
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri said it was his decision to not start Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench at the start of his side's 2-2 draw at Udinese, and not the player's choice as reported by Italian media on Sunday.
Sky Italia claimed that Ronaldo had asked to be on the bench for Juventus' opening fixture of the 2021-22 Serie A in Udine to not risk getting injured as he looks to secure a move away from the club. Ronaldo came off the bench in the 60th minute to almost snatch a dramatic stoppage-time winner. However, his bullet header eventually was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.
"Ronaldo is feeling well; I had talked to him before the game, telling him he would start on the bench. He made himself available, he did well when he entered the pitch," Allegri told DAZN.
Juventus looked like mark Allegri's first game back in charge with a win after early goals from Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado put them in control in Udine. But two errors from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny allowed the hosts to equalise. The second error was especially glaring after the glovesman gave away the ball, let the hosts back in, as a Roberto Pereya penalty and a Gerard Deulofeu goal helped Udinese earn a point on Sunday.
Reacting to the 2-2 draw, Allegri said that "unexpected things happen in football".
"Unexpected things happen: this is football too. In the first half we were in control, and we had to control the ball better. Then we didn't know how to manage the unexpected, and this is a lesson that we must take home with us. The performance was good, but in football the only thing that counts is winning and knowing how to read the match moments. In the second half, we lost two or three too many balls in midfield, perhaps also due to the heat and the conditions at the beginning of the season. In any case, you can't concede such a goal, especially when you haven't conceded a shot on goal, like tonight. When we win the ball, due to the characteristics of the players, we have to quickly conquer the space: this evening we did it," Allegri said in a post-match conference on Sunday.
"Szczesny is a great goalkeeper: sometimes, however, throwing him in the stands is not too bad… Locatelli? He can play both as a playmaker and as a midfielder, depending on how the midfield will be deployed. He is just a little bit behind in his form. Cristiano is fine, we talked to each other and we thought about the situation of the team. He made himself available when he entered the field and he did very well," the Juve manager further added.
Juventus host Empoli in Turin in Serie A on Sunday (Aug. 29).
