Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to skip Juventus training camps, says Mehdi Benatia

Mehdi Benatia has revealed how Massimiliano Allegri responded when Cristiano Ronaldo asked not to stay in Juventus’ closed training camps before matches.

Ronaldo did not like the idea after joining the Italian club because he was not accustomed to pre-match camps, according to Benatia, who played for Juventus during the Portugal forward’s time there.

“After Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Juventus, he did not really like the idea of going into a closed camp before matches because he was not used to it,” Benatia told Calcio Mercato.

“He asked me if there was no way to speak to the coach and the Italian players about it. I replied that I would try to do so.”

Benatia then discussed the matter with former Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini.

“I told Giorgio Chiellini that there was a team-mate who did not like going into closed camps,” he said. “We then went to Massimiliano Allegri and told him that three or four players, especially the bigger names, did not like the idea.”

Allegri’s response was to allow the players to decide for themselves, Benatia added.

“He said that whoever wanted to go into the camp could do so, and whoever did not want to could choose not to,” he said.

Ronaldo made 134 appearances for Juventus, scoring 101 goals and providing 28 assists.

He joined the club from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 for 117m euros, before leaving for Manchester United in the summer of 2021 for 17m euros.