Giorgio Chiellini has said Champions League quarterfinal opponent Real Madrid are about more than just Cristiano Ronaldo, while adding that revenge is not the main objective for his side on Tuesday night.
“Sergio Ramos is the best defender in the world, but it’s not just me saying this,” Chiellini said. “It’s the same with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the best No. 9 in the world.
“When you face champions like these, it’s great to try to beat them. We’ll try our best to contain [Ronaldo], but Real Madrid are not just about him. If you think you can eliminate him, you would be being presumptuous as an individual, but with team work, we have got to try to concede little room to Real.”
Chiellini added that Juventus wouldn’t be looking for revenge for the Cardiff defeat because if they were to focus on the past, they would find themselves having to consider revenge in almost every game at this stage of the season.
“No, it’s not a vendetta because we’ve got positive and negative memories of all of the top teams,” Chiellini said.
“If you want to go all the way in the Champions League, you’re always going to face Barcelona, Real and Bayern Munich in rotation.
“Of course we have that negative memory of Cardiff, but we want to play a great game against the best team in the world.”
Massimiliano Allegri also singled Ronaldo out for particular praise, especially for the way he has transformed his game.
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