Juventus footballer Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his anger after being left out of Juventus’ team for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona in Turin, two weeks after testing positive for coronavirus, reported AFP.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is the top scorer in the history of the competition with 130 goals, needed to test negative 24 hours before the game against his great rival Lionel Messi’s Spanish team.
Ronaldo posted a photo on Instagram, saying, “Feeling good and healthy! Forza Juve! #finoallafine.” He further added a comment on the swab tests used to detect the virus, “PCR IS BULLSHIT.” However, he removed the comment after an hour an a half.
He had first tested positive for COVID-19 on October 13 while playing with Portugal in the Nations League, and has been in self-isolation since returning to Italy.
According to Portuguese TV1, the 35-year-old has tested positive 18 times.
Wednesday’s match will be the fourth missed by Ronaldo, who has no symptoms of the virus, and has posted photos of himself training on social media. He will now be able to play against Barcelona in the reverse Group G fixture in Barcelona on December 8. Ronaldo is yet to face Messi after leaving Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018.
Barcelona and Juventus both won their Champions League openers with the Spaniards winning 5-1 at home against Hungary’s Ferencvaros and the Italians 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev.
Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has been included in the team list hours before kick-off having been uncertain with a thigh injury, with captain Giorgio Chiellini still out of action.
Striker Alvaro Morato, who scored both goals in Kiev, is set to the Juventus attack alongside Argentine Paulo Dybala.
Andrea Pirlo faces Barcelona for the first time as a coach with his last Juventus game as a player being a defeat by Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final.
