Sources in Italy claim Ronaldo was out due to punishment from Pirlo

Did Cristiano Ronaldo not feature for Juventus against Atalanta due to injury or punishment? This second theory came to life in the minutes before the encounter in various reports from the Italian press - such as 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' and 'TuttoSport', for example.

His manager, Andrea Pirlo, had already warned in the press conference that he would not feature in the side. "The accumulation of so many games haven't allowed him to recover his fitness. If he were to play, the injury could become serious", he explained. This would back up the first hypothesis - the least outlandish one - as to why he wasn't on the field.

The second rests on a possible punishment for his furious actions following the encounter against Genoa. The Portugese, despite winning the match, was infuriated for having not scored in the match. His anger continued from the pitch, where he threw his shirt on the floor, all the way to the changing rooms, showing scenes of discontent that were even more overwhelming.

This gave Andrea Pirlo reasons to leave him out of the squad, in order to make him think the next time that he is unable to control his emotions. It is due to either of these reasons that Ronaldo didn't play against Atalanta, but he now enters the final stages of the season in which he will continue to be the lead man.