The Germany midfielder was full of praise for his five-time Ballon d’Or-winning team-mate as Juventus prepare to take on Ajax
Emre Can has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as “insane” while saying that all of his team-mates feel the effect that the Portuguese star has on the rest of the group at Juventus.
Ronaldo is set to return to the Bianconeri line-up on Wednesday as Massimiliano Allegri’s side take on Ajax in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
It marks his first appearance since guiding Juventus past Atletico Madrid in the last 16 last month by scoring a hat-trick to overcome a 2-0 first-leg deficit.
And Can says Ronaldo is even more than just a star on the pitch as he hailed the impact he has on the rest of the players within the squad.
“The Ronaldo effect is so huge,” Can told DAZN and Goal .
“Whether in the city, the club or the league – everyone talks about him. But everyone always talks about the world-class player Ronaldo. For me, it’s the person who counts first and foremost.
“He is very friendly, a down-to-earth-guy. Everyone in the team gets on well with him. And for sure, what he does on the pitch is unbelievable.
“Even at 34, he always wants to be the best and show the world match by match again what he can. His performance against Atletico was insane.”
With that Atletico performance, Ronaldo ensured that Juventus would stay alive heading into the quarter-finals, where they will take on an Ajax team that took down Real Madrid in the last round.
And, while Juventus have aspirations of a Champions League title, Can is not looking too far ahead.
“So far so good. But we have not won anything yet, we are entering the crucial period of the season,” he said.
“We want to win the Scudetto and the Champions League. Above all, the desire to win the Champions League is huge in the club and in the city.
“The team has been on the verge of winning the title over the past few years. Of course, there are strong competitors, but we will do everything to make it possible this year.“
Juventus are also closing in on sealing their Serie A crown, with a draw against SPAL on Saturday enough to secure the league title.