Cristiano Ronaldo might have been troublesome for some managers, but former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is definitely not one of them.

The 44-year-old manager was in charge of Juventus from August 2020 to May 2021 when he got to work closely with the Portuguese talisman. Ronaldo fired on all cylinders in that campaign, scoring 36 goals in 44 appearances and guiding the Bianconeri to the Coppa Italia title as well.

Reminiscing on his Juve days as a manager, Pirlo told Radio Serie A what it was like to coach the all-time great: “Training Ronaldo makes you understand how to become number one in the world. He’s an exemplary professional in every aspect: from how he eats, how he recovers, to how he trains.”

While Ronaldo was hailed as a hero in Turin, his second coming at Manchester United ended on a bitter note as he had to prematurely terminate his contract with the Red Devils following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he took aim at manager Erik ten Hag and also at the club’s hierarchy. After the 2022 World Cup he joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr and has been in prolific form in front of goal, scoring  24 goals from 26 appearances this season.

Ronaldo’s stint at the Allianz Arena saw him score 101 goals for the Serie A giants through 134 appearances. And apart from the Coppa Italia triumph he also delivered two league titles. Even at 38, he is going strong with Al-Nassr and will be back in action against Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.