Ronaldo to Juventus at the age of 33 years
Russia World Cup 2018 was in its last few days, and Semifinals were in progress. But some news brought all attention of football fans around the world to Kalamata, Greece, where the final details of the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, were being penned.
Ronaldo unceremoniously stole the attention, as he decided to move his base to Turin from Madrid. He was leaving the club, with whom he won three Champions League and moving forward in his life for a new challenge at the age of 33.
Andrea Agnelli Saw the Opportunity
Betting hundred of million euro on a 33-year-old at the time, it seemed crazy. Yeah, it was for Cristiano Ronaldo, but then he was 33. Andrea Agnelli did precisely that. He saw the golden chance of bringing him to Juventus. So he offered 105 million euros and an annual salary of 31 million euros
Andrea Agnelli is one of the members of one of the most powerful families in Italy. His grandfather, Giovanni Agnelli, was one of the founders of Fiat in 1899, and the family currently holds 30% control of the entire FCA group (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). Among many other businesses, they have also been in control of Juventus since 1923: they own 64% of the club. It is worth remembering that Jeep, of the FCA group, is a master sponsor of Juventus.
The Portuguese do not get involved in controversies and have a powerful name to leverage the business of the Agnelli family. In these almost 100 years ahead of the Old Lady, the hiring of Cristiano Ronaldo was considered one of the most intelligent businesses in recent history.
Ronaldo’s Initial days in Turin
Ronaldo had to move to a new home in Turin, after being in Madrid for almost a decade. It must have been challenging, moving his base after so long and getting into a new team. More importantly, playing for new fans in Allianz Stadium. The situation was little tricky as his salary sparked outrage among workers at the Fiat plant in Melfi, in eastern Italy.
Performance on Field
Juventus fell in the quarterfinals of UEFA champions league to Ajax. But Juventus secured Serie A championship, and Ronaldo continued in his goal-scoring form scoring 28 goals in Italian top flying league.
Ronaldo also scored a hat-trick in the round of 16 of UEFA champions league against Atletico Madrid to offset Atletico’s two-goal lead in the first round match.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus – Jeep Comercial
Cristiano Ronaldo is also used as a poster boy for Jeep commercials. At the beginning of last season, the Portuguese starred in advertising with the entire range of the brand’s cars, especially the Wrangler.
Cristiano Ronaldo Effect on Juventus and Jeep Brand
The social media followers which can be considered as an indicator of popularity was seen a huge change. Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Juve had 10.5 million followers on Instagram. After the Portuguese announcement, the number began to grow daily, and today it has 39.8 million followers.
For Jeep. as unique and exclusive sponsor on the front of the Juventus jersey, the “Cristiano Ronaldo effect“ was so positive that the amount paid to continue printing the team’s shirt increased even before the renewal with the club.
Since he arrived in Turin, the global exposure of the Juventus brand has reached another level. And the main beneficiary of this exposure was certainly the Jeep brand.
In addition to boosting Juventus’ accounts, the appreciation of the club generates more revenue and more visibility for FCA, leaving the brand more global than ever, mainly to expand the market in Asia, which was the main objective. Juventus’ last pre-season in China, Singapore and South Korea also provide a huge opportunity for interactions between Juve stars and it’s huge fan base..
FCA and Jeep sales – Record
In 2018 and 2019, the FCA group broke sales records. In 2018, the best year the group has ever had, there were 4.7 million registered cars around the world and a revenue of 115.4 billion euros.
In 2019, the group sold 2.4 million cars and had a revenue of 108.1 billion euros. Despite the downturn, the numbers were enough to leave 2019 as the second-best year in profitability for the FCA group.
Specifically, the Jeep, which prints the shirt of Juventus, also broke a record in 2018, selling 1.6 million cars, 12.4% more than in 2017. In 2019, the number dropped, but it was enough to also put the year as the brand’s second-best, with 1.5 million units sold.
Without a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo, with his millions of followers and fans around the world, helped the brand to increase its recognition further, reaching people less connected to the automotive world. However, it is essential to consider that only ten years ago, the Jeep sold about 300 thousand vehicles a year while today, we are a global brand that sells five times that number.
FCA communication team in Italy to Autoesporte