Juventus' Maurizio Sarri Says Cristiano Ronaldo and 'I Have a Good Relationship'

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has said he has a "good relationship" with the club's star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo wasn't involved in Saturday's 3-1 win over Atalanta due to injury. Before the international break, the Portuguese reacted angrily to being substituted during the clash with AC Milan, storming down the tunnel after being withdrawn from the action.

Speaking on the eve of the team's clash with Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, Sarri was asked about the dynamic between himself and Ronaldo, per Gianluca Di Marzio:

"I have a good relationship with him. If a player who won a lot gets mad, it means they still have a lot of motivation. It's been 25 years since I saw players get mad after a substitution. It doesn't surprise me. Yesterday he practiced with his teammates, he's improving, we'll evaluate him between today and tomorrow" 

Juventus were able to secure a big win on Saturday without Ronaldo, as they got the better of Atalanta 3-1 on the road.

Their forwards excelled, too, with Gonzalo Higuain grabbing a brace and Paulo Dybala on target in stoppage time.

Ronaldo is seemingly set to be involved on Tuesday when Atletico visit Turin. The two teams met in the second round of the competition last season, and the Portuguese scored a stunning hat-trick to put Juventus into the quarter-finals of the competition: 

While Juventus are on course to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages and are top of Serie A, individually Ronaldo is not enjoying his most prosperous campaign in front of goal, with just six goals scored for his club in all competitions.

Ronaldo has been used as both a left forward and a striker by Sarri so far, although the Portuguese has not been able to settle into a prolific goalscoring groove yet in 2019-20.

Given the way in which he's performed for Juventus and Real Madrid against Atletico in the past, Tuesday's contest at Allianz Stadium may be an ideal chance for him to ignite his campaign.