Mehdi Benatia revealed behind-the-scenes details about Cristiano Ronaldo pushing back against team training camps during their time together at Juventus, Tuttosport reported.
The former defender reflected on his career in a wide-ranging interview with Canal+, covering his departure from Bayern Munich, life under Massimiliano Allegri, and his recent stint as sporting director at Marseille.
Several topics concerning his career were discussed, ranging from Roma to his move to Juve alongside an anecdote about Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the memory of a foul on Vázquez in a Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid.
Regarding his exit from Bayern Munich and arrival at Juventus, Benatia explained that since he wanted to leave from his very first year, he asked to depart because he did not feel comfortable in Germany and wanted to return to Italy.
After two months, he had told his wife that he did not know whether he had made the right choice there, noting that Italy is his second home, and once back he joined Juve where work culture and discipline matter.
When Ronaldo arrived in Turin in 2018, the forward found the traditional Italian pre-match training camps unfamiliar and unappealing.
“There isn’t a way to talk a bit with the Italians, with the coach?” Ronaldo asked Benatia, according to Tuttosport.
Benatia approached defender Giorgio Chiellini to discuss the situation before the pair met directly with Allegri. The players explained that several senior figures would prefer to skip the mandatory hotel stays.
Allegri offered a pragmatic response to the request, telling them that anyone who wanted to attend the camp could do so, while those who preferred to stay home were free to leave, Tuttosport reported.
Benatia also addressed his tumultuous spell as Marseille sporting director and the sudden exit of Adrien Rabiot to AC Milan in the summer of 2025, according to CALCIOMERCATO.
The relationship between club management and Rabiot soured following a training ground altercation with Jonathan Rowe on August 15, 2025, which ultimately led to Rowe’s transfer to Bologna.
“I lived through the transfer very badly: I had an excellent relationship with Rabiot,” Benatia told Canal+.
CALCIOMERCATO said that friction had already existed regarding the strict scheduling methods of coach Roberto De Zerbi, particularly mandatory team breakfasts ahead of afternoon sessions.
Quando si decidono le sanzioni, è già finita, Benatia ha detto, secondo CALCIOMERCATO coverage of the Canal+ interview.
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