Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled at Juventus – live!

He continues. “It (Real Madrid) was a very shining story but this is a brand new step. I thank all the fans for that. I have to focus on it and be motivated. I am going to work hard. I like new challenges. I hope everything goes well.”

Ronaldo says he is still “rather young” but does admit that players of his age usually got to “Qatar or China”. He says he will still be helping out the Portugal team.

And here he is, taking centre stage in a press conference, with sponsors aplenty emblazoned behind him.

It’s a good point Rav makes. When was the last time that Italian clubs signed the world’s very best? Even though they are very different ages and circumstances, it reminds of Brazil’s Ronaldo signing for Inter Milan from Barcelona in 1997, or even before that, Barcelona selling Diego Maradona to Napoli in 1984.

Rav emails in. “I’ve followed Juventus for 20 years,” he says. “Covered them day in, day out, for close to 17 years and I’ve never seen anything close to this level of excitement or anticipation over a transfer in all that time. Nothing comes close to this deal, not ever the summer when we signed Ibra, Canavaro and Capello all in the space of a few months. It transcends football and it’s going to be massive, not just for Juventus, but Turin, Serie A and Italy overall. It feels like a throwback to the mid 90’s when players were flocking to Italy.”

This was Paolo Bandini’s verdict when the deal was announced last week.

The Juve fans were getting hyped even for the medical this morning.

Ronaldo’s arrival and assumption of the number 7 shirt has displaced Juan Cuadrado in more ways than one, and the Colombian will wear number 49 next season.

Can the Old Lady turn it on like Real Madrid did for CRon in 2009?

We can’t say he didn’t warn us, since in the immediate aftermath of his fourth Champions League title with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo had this to say: “Right now we need to enjoy ourselves but in the next few days I’ll give an answer to the fans who have always been by my side. It was beautiful to be at Real Madrid.”

A World Cup disappointment with Portugal and €100m later, he’s only gone and joined Juventus. Why? Perhaps he may give us some clues this afternoon, but all seemed to have gone sour at the Santiago Bernabéu, despite that ludicrous goal record and his spell at the club making sure Real will be the club to aspire to in terms of the Champions League for a long time yet.

His heading to Turin, a deal that was agreed and announced last week looks like great news for anyone who holds TV rights for Serie A or makes their living covering it, and bad news for the clubs competing with Juventus. It might be noted at this point that Ronaldo only won two league titles in nine seasons at Madrid, compared to the three he signed off from Manchester United with. Juventus have won the last seven, so winning a title in Italy to go along with England and Spain might have been an incentive.

What do we know of today? He has been having a medical, and the Juve tifosi have been out in force in Piedmont. A news conference awaits us, and no doubt some high-concept jiggery pokery.