Cristiano Ronaldo and the Mysterious Grass Episode at Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Juventus brought glory, records, and trophies, but also some untold stories. One of the strangest was revealed by former Juve defender Gianluca Frabotta, who recounted how the Portuguese legend once smelled and chewed grass during training as a sign of frustration with then-coach Maurizio Sarri.

According to Frabotta, the incident took place during a tactical drill in the 2019–20 season, when Sarri was instructing Ronaldo on specific set-piece movements. “He was annoyed. He didn’t need instructions; he was different. He could feel where the ball would go,” the Italian player recalled to Corriere della Sera.

That’s when Cristiano pulled out a small patch of grass, smelled it, chewed it, and calmly said: “I like to understand the field and where the ball is going.” A cryptic statement that reflected both his obsession with the game and his discomfort with Sarri’s methodical style.

Sarri and Ronaldo: A Relationship as Cold as It Was Effective

Although they won the 2020 Scudetto together, the relationship between Maurizio Sarri and Cristiano Ronaldo was never easy. The coach, known for his strict tactical approach and fiery personality, later admitted that “managing Ronaldo wasn’t easy, he’s a multinational player.”

For Sarri, coaching such a superstar was more diplomacy than football. “He has personal interests that must be balanced with those of the team,” he explained. Even so, Sarri recognized Ronaldo’s consistency on the pitch: 37 goals during the 2019–20 season, his most prolific campaign in Italy.

However, the atmosphere inside the locker room was far from ideal. Sarri himself admitted that the Scudetto was “won without celebration”, reflecting the inner disconnect within the squad. The pressure, expectations, and burden of leading a figure of Ronaldo’s stature ultimately strained their professional bond.

The Grass Gesture: Ego, Message, and Leadership His Way

The “grass incident” wasn’t merely an act of defiance, it was a statement. Ronaldo has always been a player who lets his actions speak louder than words, and that gesture summed up his entire philosophy. While Sarri demanded structure, Ronaldo embodied instinct, the same instinct that made him one of football’s most lethal players.

Behind that anecdote was a silent power struggle. Sarri represented control, discipline, and system, while Ronaldo stood for intuition, freedom, and individuality. Two contrasting minds in a shared project that, despite success on paper, never achieved true harmony.

Ronaldo’s Legacy in Turin and the Echoes of a Complex Era

Across three seasons with Juventus, Cristiano scored 101 goals in 134 games, won two Serie A titles and one Coppa Italia, though the ultimate dream the Champions League eluded them. Still, he left behind an indelible mark and a standard of excellence few have matched since his departure.

Years later, the “grass story” gains new meaning: it symbolizes how Ronaldo perceived football not just as a tactical system but as a sensory experience. And while his relationship with Sarri was short-lived and tense, together they authored one of the strangest and most human chapters in modern Italian football.