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Douglas Costa has spoken about the partnership he shared with Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus, calling the Portuguese superstar a “machine” who made things easier for his team-mates in Turin. The Brazilian winger, who spent several trophy-filled seasons at Juventus, described the rare mix of professional seriousness and easy-going nature that marks the highest-scoring player in international football history.

Life alongside the Portuguese 'machine'

Looking back on his time at the Allianz Stadium, Costa offered a revealing picture of what it was like to share a dressing room with one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Speaking about five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, Costa explained how the veteran forward made the game simpler for everyone around him.

“For almost 15 years, he had already been a guarantee for the goals he scored. He was such an easy player to handle: he joked a lot when it was time, but on the pitch he was a machine. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to play with him. It was definitely a great fortune,” Costa told Tuttosport.

Choosing Juventus over Inter

The 33-year-old also spoke in detail about the circumstances of his initial move to Turin from Bayern Munich in 2017.

Costa recalled: “It was a quick deal, but it came about some time before. Agnelli and Paratici spoke to me right after the 2016 Champions League match between Juve and Bayern Munich. Then I went to Australia with Alex Sandro to play a friendly against Brazil. He had heard that Inter wanted to bring me to Italy, and I knew they were interested. So Alex Sandro asked me, 'Would you come to Juve?' I never had any doubts, especially because I would have played less with Ancelotti at Bayern Munich; the manager had been very clear with me. So Paratici called me and it was all very quick, but then again, when Juve calls you, you can't say no.”

The influence of Allegri

The Brazilian’s adjustment to Italian football was not immediate and needed a period of adaptation under the close eye of Massimiliano Allegri.

“At first, I was benched for a bit, then he brought me in when I understood Italian football,” Costa said. “I found myself and fell in love with Italy, and my teammates were also really supportive. Allegri made me understand that to play I had to always stay on top of things, never switch off; he was very valuable in changing my mentality.”

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Ronaldo’s changing role for club and country

Douglas Costa now plays in the UAE with Al-Ittifaq, while Ronaldo continues to score regularly in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr. Even so, questions have been raised over Ronaldo’s long-term future with the Portugal national team. Recent developments indicate that the legendary forward may need to adjust his expectations as a new era starts under Jorge Jesus.

Ronaldo scored only three goals for Portugal at the 2026 World Cup as they suffered a painful round of 16 exit, and critics have argued that he should now be moved to the bench as the national team looks ahead to the European Championship in two years' time.