Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that the need to prove himself season after season has become “tiring and annoying”.
The Portuguese forward moved to Juventus last summer to embark on a new challenge in his illustrious career and clinched the Serie A title in his maiden season in Italy, scoring 21 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions.
However, Juventus suffered a disappointing exit in the Champions League at the quarter-final stage with defeat to Ajax over two legs, despite Ronaldo’s exceptional hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in the previous round.
In an interview with Spanish publication El Pais, Ronaldo said: “I will not deny that sometimes it annoys me and it tires because it seems that every year you must prove that you are very good. It’s hard.
“You have what you have to have that extra pressure of having to prove something to people, not just for you. Also to the people who are around. Your family, your mother, your son ... ‘Cris, you have to win tomorrow’.
“That makes you more active. You always have to train, but there comes a time when you say: “Look, let me ...”.
Ronaldo denied though that his love of football had in any way faded, insisting at 34 years old that he still had the “bug”, even if his style of play has adapted with age.
“I see football as a mission: go to the field, win, make me better. Those moments when I went to the field thinking ‘I’m going to dribble!’ ... I’m honest: those moments I do not have anymore.
“There is an additional pressure. People are always judging: “It’s over already. He’s 33, 34 or 35 years old, I should leave him. “ And you want to surprise people: here the bug follows.
