GALLERY: A great welcome for @cuadrado as he settles into his new home: http://t.co/ierfbx8D2t #CuadradoDay pic.twitter.com/sRTgCe9es0
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 28, 2015
Juan Cuadrado has arrived with the fanfare of a world class signing at Juventus, from the mania at the airport, to the cameras and throngs of fans following his every move. Granted, there's no such thing as half speed when it comes to Italian football passions, but just look at this video. It's as if the last 6 months hadn't even happened.
In fairness, we'd all very much like to forget about Cuadrado's epic failure at Chelsea. Not even Cuadrado himself knows what went wrong.
"What went wrong? The truth is, I don't know. I was always professional and I always trained very well. I didn't play as much as I wanted, but I was always ready."
-Juan Cuadrado; source: Evening Standard
A mystery, wrapped in a riddle. For whatever reason, it simply didn't work out. It's not like he was a young, rising star or someone from a minor league coming to test himself with the big boys. It happens, I suppose. The best thing to do for us was to cut our losses, and the best thing for him was probably a change of scenery. His move to Juventus, though technically just a loan, for now, provides the best solution.
"Moving to Juventus was the best choice for me and I hope to give my best, and give everything for this shirt. It's a new challenge for me. I've always been training, even if I wasn't playing, and I always train with playing in mind."
-Juan Cuadrado; source: Evening Standard
Cuadrado's first action for his new club could be in the Chelsea Right Wingers For Loan derby this weekend, when Juventus visit AS Roma and Mohamed Salah.