Serie A, Chiellini: "Ronaldo is like Bolt & Federer"

Giorgio Chiellini has admitted that replacing Gianluigi Buffon as Juventus captain ‘isn’t easy’ and compared Cristiano Ronaldo to Usain Bolt and Roger Federer.

Chiellini took the armband after Buffon left for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but the loss of Juve’s long-serving goalkeeper was eased by the arrival of Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

“Replacing Gigi isn’t easy at all”, the defender told La Stampa.

“Ronaldo? You become a leader. I’m a curious person, I’m a good observer and I like to learn. Having near Ronaldo me, for example, is interesting. He’s like Bolt and Federer: knowing the habits of those who have an extra gear helps. It’s not to imitate him but rather to broaden my horizons”.

As for Juventus targets of the season, he said: “At Juve it’s different. A victory here is, above all, a relief in that the job is done”.