Indeed, it was clear that he wanted to send a message to his detractors when he pointed to his ear after completing a hat-trick at Cagliari on March 14 – just five days after the bitter Porto blow.
If he felt that would silence the naysayers, though, he has been proven sadly mistaken.
In the 36-year-old s defence, he has done exactly what was asked of him since arriving in Italy in 2018, by scoring goals and boosting the Bianconeri brand.
However, Juve are still struggling, both from a financial and sporting perspective, prompting many pundits to claim that the CR7 project has failed and should, therefore, be abandoned.
Get rid of Ronaldo! - Juventus star under fire ahead of crunch Atalanta clash goal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.