Leonardo Bonucci had a surprising answer to the attacker he had the most difficulty playing against (Image: Getty)
Leonardo Bonucci has notably singled out Fernando Torres as the toughest adversary he’s ever faced on the pitch, rather than or . The revered stalwart hung up his boots last year after a brief spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce. His remarkable 12-year tenure with Juve propelled him to the pinnacle as one of football’s premier defenders.
Throughout his storied career, Bonucci, capped 121 times for Italy, earned nine Serie A titles and clinched the Euro 2020 crown, invariably confronting top-tier forwards at both club and international stages. Bonucci’s encounters with Ronaldo and Messi are emblematic, as he endured Champions League final defeats to each before teaming up with Ronaldo at Juventus.
Despite extensive firsthand experience battling the footballing greats, particularly with Ronaldo, it came as a surprise that Bonucci didn’t cite either star when recounting the strikers who posed the greatest challenges. Instead, he pinpointed the talents of the former and dynamo, reports .
In a conversation with , Bonucci expressed his reverence for Torres: “I would highlight Fernando ‘El Nino’ Torres. He was the one who gave me the most difficulty because he attacked well, played very well with his physique and used his body well. The duels against him were always very difficult.”
The former defender enjoyed formidable challenges against the Spaniard, but was on the receiving end of a particuarly painful footballing memory in the Euro 2012 final when Torres netted a goal in Spain’s emphatic 4-0 win over Italy.
Speaking to Sky, Bonucci expressed his admiration for both Ronaldo and Messi but ultimately singled out the Argentine superstar as the greatest footballer he has seen, despite his personal connection with Ronaldo: “As a former team-mate I say Ronaldo, he’s a machine. As a football fan outside of the industry, I say Leo Messi.”
The Italy icon lost the 2015 Champions League final to Messi and Barcelona (Image: Getty)
While sharing the Juventus dressing room with Ronaldo for three seasons, where they clinched two league titles, Bonucci observed the Portgual captain’s massive impact on the squad. Yet, he suggested that this influence had an unintended side effect on the team’s motivation.
In an interview with , Bonucci candidly reflected on the dynamics within the team during the Al-Nassr striker’s tenure at Juventus: “Ronaldo’s presence had a big influence on us, just training with him gave us something extra, but subconsciously, players started to think his presence alone was enough to win games.
“We began to fall a little short in our daily work, the humility, the sacrifice, the desire to be there for your teammates day after day. Over the last few years, I think you could see that.”