Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt believes he gave 'too much' respect to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianluigi Buffon during his early days in Turin.
The 22-year-old joined the Old Lady from Ajax in 2019 following their impressive run to the Champions League semi-final. He would spend two seasons playing alongside Ronaldo and Buffon before their exits to Manchester United and Parma, respectively.
De Ligt admitted he thought he gave both giants of the game more respect than he needed to and that he had to change his tune eventually as he became a regular in the Juventus side. Speaking to CBS Sport, he said: “At the beginning, it was quite hard.
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“I am a really respectful guy, sometimes I respected these guys too much. In the end, we are all in the same team, you have to challenge each other to become better. But at some point, you learn from other players and become good colleagues and friends.”
Ronaldo has been blamed for supposedly stifling the progression of the United squad this season by some supporters. They say his arrival has negatively impacted his colleagues, who are scarcely seen to confront the superstar if matches are going awry.
Jamie Carragher recently criticised Harry Maguire for his 'lack of authority' as club captain, mooting that Ronaldo’s arrival has hampered his leadership ability. He said: “Maguire’s difficulty in turning it around at Old Trafford is his lack of authority in the United dressing room.
“Since last summer, Maguire has been looking over his shoulder amid a debate as to whether he or Cristiano Ronaldo should be captain. Rather than re-assert his leadership, he has fallen short. That has affected his performances.”
Others slammed Ronaldo for his reaction when he was subbed by Ralf Rangnick against Brentford in January. The striker was visibly upset when he was taken off, leading some pundits and fans to suggest his attitude was manifesting a mood of negativity among the squad.
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