Ronaldo's mother wants him to return to Sporting next season

If Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother has her way, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will play in Portugal next season.

Dolores Aveiro said Wednesday that she will try to convince Ronaldo to leave Juventus and return to boyhood club Sporting CP in the summer. The 36-year-old began his career at Sporting, making his debut at 17 before joining Manchester United in 2003.

“I’ll talk to him to bring him back,” Ronaldo’s 66-year-old mother, an avid Sporting supporter, said, according to Reuters. “Next year, he will play in Alvalade (Sporting’s stadium).”

Aveiro was speaking to Sporting fans from her balcony as they celebrated the club’s first domestic title in 19 years.

Ronaldo still has one year left on his contract but could leave Juventus if the club misses out on the Champions League for the first time in a decade. The Bianconeri are currently in fifth place, one point behind fourth-placed Napoli with just two games remaining.

Juventus are also struggling financially due to the effects of the pandemic. The former Serie A champions – dethroned by rivals Inter Milan after a nine-year title run – recorded a loss of €113 million from July 2020 to December 2020, with further losses expected at the end of the fiscal year.

Ronaldo, who reportedly earns €30 million after taxes, scored his 100th goal for the club in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Sassuolo.