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Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid reunion off as Juventus confirm plans for Portugal ace
CRISTIANO RONALDO’S chances of an early reunion with Real Madrid were ruled out after Juventus confirmed he won’t take part in their tour of the US.
Juventus begin their tour of the States with an International Champions Cup fixture a week on Thursday against Bayern Munich (12:05am BST).
After that, they have three other fixtures to contend with, culminating in a glamour clash against Real Madrid on August 4.
While Juve confirmed Ronaldo will begin pre-season training on July 30, he won’t be involved in the tour.
Spanish paper AS claim the decision was taken after a lengthy meeting which was held between Massimiliano Allgeri and his backroom staff.
It is also suggested there is no contractual obligation for Ronaldo to play on the tour.
Ronaldo will join up with the majority of the squad on August 8, while the likes of World Cup finalists Mario Mandzukic and Blaise Matuidi will start their preparations four days later.
The Portuguese superstar had been hoping to face his former employers Real after ending a decorated nine-year spell at the club.
Ronaldo: Juventus move wasn't a difficult decision to make
But it seems his official debut will be delayed, although Juve haven’t formally announced who his first game for the Bianconeri will be against.
Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane is set to make a sensational return to Juve as the club’s director.
After quitting the Bernabeu at the end of last season, Zidane will join the club’s technical staff - just days after the club confirmed a deal for Ronaldo.