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Sampdoria Owner Jokes Cristiano Ronaldo 'Had to Be Booked' for Juventus Winner
December 20, 2019
Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has joked Cristiano Ronaldo should have been booked for his gravity-defying decider when Juventus won 2-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday.
Ronaldo, 34, scored his 10th goal of the Serie A campaign to give Juve a temporary three-point lead at the top of the table, while Sampdoria remain just two points above the relegation zone.
Owner Ferrero, 68, maintained his sense of humour despite the defeat and told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia): "The team are there, we saw that yesterday against Juve. I must say that Ronaldo had to be booked after that leap. It was as if he was taking off like an aeroplane! Cristiano won the game, but my boys defended well."
Paulo Dybala broke the deadlock with a ferocious left-footed volley before Gianluca Caprari brought Sampdoria level, though Ronaldo's towering header was the best of the three goals:
Juventus shared a compilation of the best fan-made edits following an iconic Ronaldo goal:
The Bianconeri have regained their cushion at the top of Serie A for the time being, although Inter Milan can draw back level if they defeat Genoa at the San Siro on Saturday.
Football Italia attested to Ronaldo leaping a gargantuan 2.56 metres at the peak of his jump, while Sampdoria defender Nicola Murru was left grounded a distance below.
Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri spoke at a press conference after the game and described his initial reaction to Ronaldo and Dybala's goals, via Eleven Sports:
Ronaldo's hang time in the air has drawn special praise, though BBC Sport posted evidence of the Portuguese pulling off a similar feat at UEFA Euro 2016:
The veteran forward has been dealing with a knee complaint, but that appears to be behind him after notching a fifth goal in his past four Serie A appearances.
Ronaldo can score in a fifth consecutive Italian league fixture for the first time since he joined Juventus provided he nets when they resume their Serie A campaign at home to Cagliari on January 6.
The Bianconeri spent €100 million to sign Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018, and Ferrero's Sampdoria are but the latest opponent to suffer as a result of his abilities.