Cristiano Ronaldo Not In Best Form, Says Juventus Coach Maurizio Sarri

Maurizio Sarri admits that Cristiano Ronaldo is not in his usual destructive form for Juventus at the moment. The 61-year-old rued the Old Lady’s failed Coppa Italia campaign but has come out to cut his star forward some slack, saying the Portuguese legend is still in search to discover his groove following the three-month hiatus.

In the aftermath of the painful penalty loss against Napoli in the Coppa final on Wednesday, Sarri revealed that he had a personal dialogue with Ronaldo. In the said talk, he said he just wishes the 35-year-old skipper to be back in his old form as Juve braces for their return to Serie A on Monday.

"I spoke to Cristiano again yesterday, alone and for a long time. He mustn't lose his confidence, I hope that from tomorrow the fantastic player of old will come back. It's just that he's not physically at his best right now," the Italian told ESPN.

Sarri then discussed the hot speculation that he and Miralem Pjanic are not in good terms after a report claimed that he plans to bench the Bosnian midfielder against Lazio in their return.

The rumored spat also comes with several accounts claiming Pjanic has entertained transfer offers from Chelsea and even Barcelona. But Sarri was quick to dismiss the allegations and labeled such as nothing but “hoaxes.”

"The story of my row with Pjanic is one of the biggest hoaxes of the season," Sarri told Sky Sport Italia, via ESPN. "I talk a lot with Miralem, maybe he's one of the guys I have the most interesting and meaningful discussions with.”

Sarri wants his team to shift their focus over to the Serie A and move on from Wednesday’s heartbreaker.

"Losing a trophy is always something that weighs on you, and brings disappointment and bitterness," he said. "But that's the situation. We need to move on and think about the next few games without being influenced by something we've lost."

The Old Lady currently leads Serie A with 63 points. Monday’s clash against Bologna could not be more crucial for Juventus as Lazio, which is trailing by just a single point in the ladder, aims to capture supremacy in the league.