Cristiano Ronaldo JuventusGetty Images

Ronaldo's shirt-throwing reaction in Juventus' win over Genoa explained

Cristiano Ronaldo was giving his shirt to a ball boy when he threw it away at the end of Juventus' 3-1 win against Genoa on Sunday.

It appeared that the 36-year-old had acted out of anger after failing to find the net in the Serie A clash.

Dejan Kulusevski, Alvaro Morata and Weston McKennie were all among the goals as the Italian champions sealed the three points, but Ronaldo grabbed the media's attention with his reaction after the final whistle

Article continues below

What happened?

The Portugal star threw his shirt away before he walked down the tunnel to the dressing room and it was picked up by a ball boy.

It was reported that the attacker was venting his frustration, but it has since been explained that he was giving his shirt away as a gift to the ball boy.

Just a few weeks ago, Ronaldo made headlines when he threw his captain's armband to the ground and walked down the tunnel after seeing a goal disallowed during Portugal's draw with Serbia in World Cup qualifying. 

What did Pirlo say?

Asked about the attacker's apparent anger, Juve coach Andrea Pirlo came to his defence. 

“It’s normal he wanted to score a goal, especially seeing that the match had turned out in a certain way," he said to Sky Sport.

"It is part of the attitude of champions who always want to leave their mark."

How did Ronaldo perform against Genoa?

Despite not getting his name on the scoresheet, Ronaldo put in a strong display for Juve.

He played a role in Morata's goal 22 minutes into the match as he saw an attempt hit the post and bounce into the striker's path for an easy finish.

Ronaldo had six shots in total throughout the game, more than any other player on the field.

Further reading

Advertisement