Jurgen Kohler Questions Cristiano Ronaldo's Record in Big Games

Former Juventus and Germany star Jurgen Kohler has questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's record in the biggest matches.

Ronaldo moved to the Italian side from Real Madrid this summer and despite his record as one of the best goalscorers in the history of the game, he has yet to hit the back of the net in his three Serie A appearances for his new side.

When asked about Ronaldo, Kohler was effusive in parts of his praise for the player, although he also suggested that in the grandest matches his influence isn't as prominent, per Sport1 (h/t AS):

"There are no two opinions about Ronaldo's qualities. He holds many records in Spain. He has managed to win the major trophies. You have to pay tribute to him. 

"However, I must say that you rarely see Ronaldo in the decisive matches. Then he goes on to score the goal to make it 4-1, with a penalty, and wants to be celebrated for it. But that's the way he is, too."

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Kohler went on to say that Ronaldo's work ethic has been crucial in him becoming one of the all-time great players and that the Portuguese is a "true champion."

The 52-year-old spent four years at Juventus, as well as stints with Cologne, Bayern Munich and Borsussia Dortmund. On the international stage Kohler represented Germany on 105 occasions and was part of the winning teams at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 UEFA European Championship.

Ronaldo ended a nine-year spell at Madrid in the summer by making the switch to Italy. In front of goal, it's been a frustrating beginning to life at his new club for the Portuguese:

Even so, it seems inevitable the goals will begin to flow soon, as Ronaldo has tended to start slowly in recent years before hitting top form late in the campaign.

It's why claims from Kohler that Ronaldo's standards sag in the big games are a little curious. After all, while the forward didn't net in the UEFA Champions League final or semi-final last season, he was vital in Madrid progressing to that point by scoring against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

In the away fixture at Juve in the quarters, the Portuguese scored a stunning overhead, his second goal on the night, and in the second leg, with the tie deadlocked at 3-3, he netted a last-minute penalty to put Madrid through.

Additionally, in the 2016-17 Champions League campaign, Ronaldo netted twice in the final 4-1 win over Juventus, and the year before he struck the decisive penalty in the shootout win over Atletico Madrid.

Per OptaPaolo, nobody has been more prolific on European football's biggest stage:

Juventus fans will be desperate to see Ronaldo replicate those heights in the iconic black and white jersey, especially given they've not been crowned kings of Europe since 1996.

In truth, in huge games in the latter stages of the competition, there isn't another player in the game that has been more decisive than Ronaldo down the years.