Jose Mourinho believes Juventus’ jaw-dropping capture of Cristiano Ronaldo can put Serie A back on European football’s map, alongside the Premier League and La Liga.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo was unveiled at Juventus on Monday after his €100 million move following nine seasons in Spain with Real Madrid.
And the Manchester United manager feels Ronaldo’s arrival in Turin will give Serie A a lot of attention next season.
“La Liga no longer has the two best players in the world,” Mourinho told Tele Radio Stereo.
“Now one is in Spain and the other is in Italy.”
Mourinho knows Ronaldo, 33, well, having managed his compatriot and his country’s all-time leading scorer at Real between 2010 and 2013.
Serie A had arguably the most exciting title race in Europe’s top leagues last season, as Napoli challenged Juve for long periods while the Milan clubs also had a resurgence of sorts.
And Mourinho says more eyes will be on Italian football after Ronaldo’s stunning move to the Bianconeri.
“England have the Premier League, the most competitive championship, with top quality players, one of the most important leagues in the world. So now there are three dimensions,” added Mourinho.
“Now everyone looks at Italy for Ronaldo, the Premier League because it’s the best league and Spain for [Lionel] Messi.
“Serie A has become one of the most important championships in the world. In football, everything can change.
“If it changes the perspectives of teams like Inter, AC Milan and Roma, if they don’t passively accept Juve with Cristiano becoming stronger – that they will win again and again – and can also find the right motivations from this deal, it can change Serie A in terms of quality, emotions and exposure.
“For this reason, I congratulate Juventus for this coup, which involves football, marketing and merchandising. It’s the complete transfer.”
