'Irritable' Cristiano Ronaldo 'seems to have given up at Juventus' according to report in Italy - in pictures


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Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has become "nervous, irritable and distant from his teammates" according to reports in Italy.

The Portuguese striker has scored 25 goals in Serie A, and four in six Champions League matches, but Juve have struggled to make an impact, and will fail to win the Italian league for the first time in ten seasons.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport  reported that Ronaldo's mood has changed recently and is in stark contrast to when he first arrived in Turin in July 2018.

Gazzetta claim he has stopped trying to lift his teammates on the pitch, and is no longer enjoying football like he used to.

"He seems to have given up and he's not got as much fight as he usually does," the most widely read paper in Italy maintained.

"He's nervous, irritable and very distant from his teammates. He seems to have given up and he's not got as much fight as he usually does.

"He seemed very different against Fiorentina, which is a worrying sign. Ronaldo is no longer trying to hide these feelings."

There has been intense media speculation across Europe that Ronaldo will leave Juventus at the end of the season. "He's isolated away from the pitch," the paper added. "It seems that he's getting closer and closer to leaving Juventus."

Ronaldo has gone three games without scoring ahead of the Serie A game at Udinese on Sunday, with Juve in fourth place and fighting to hold on to a Champions League place next season.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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