Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A Player of the Year
Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the Serie A Player of the Year for the second successive time. The Portugese star was rewarded with the accolade for his incredible run throughout the 2019/20 season. He also won the prize after his debut season at Juventus. Notably, the awards did not take place last year due to COVID-19 pandemic. Here is more.
After receiving the award, an elated Ronaldo said, "At the beginning it was hard to play in empty stadiums, but the aim was to win, and we did it. I'm happy. Persistence, confidence, work ethic, passion. Those are all the secrets that allow me to keep playing." "I feel motivated and you have to be every year, otherwise you won't manage to win."
Ronaldo helped Juventus claim a record-extending ninth successive Serie A title in his debut season with the club (2019/20). The 36-year-old finished as the second-highest scorer with 31 goals in 33 league matches. Ronaldo was separated from top-scorer Ciro Immobile by five goals (36). However, the latter featured in a total of 37 games, four more than Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is faring even better in the ongoing Serie A season. He has already netted 23 goals from 24 appearances, the most at the moment. Juventus presently occupy the third spot on the standings with 16 wins and 55 points.
Recently, Ronaldo went on to break the record of Brazilian maestro Pele for goals scored in "official matches" by striking his 770th goal. He achieved the feat with an incredible hat-trick as Juventus defeated Cagliari 3-1 in the league. Notably, Ronaldo completed the hat-trick inside 32 minutes, the second-fastest of his career. This was also his 57th career career hat-trick.
Among others, Juventus's Cristiana Girelli received the best female player award. Atalanta was named the Team of the Year, while their coach Gian Piero Gasperini claimed the coach prize. They finished third in Serie A in 2018/19 and 2019/20. The Gran Gala del Calcio awards, which are voted for by a mix of footballers, coaches, referees and journalists, were presented in a televised show.
