There are 15 minutes to go. The ball speeds across the penalty area. And Cristiano Ronaldo — arguably the best footballer of his generation who Juventus has just bought for €100 million — fluffs his lines, misses his shot and loses the opportunity to score on his home debut for the Italian club.

Yet, among the crowd of 40,000 fans at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Andrea Agnelli, president of Juventus — and the man who signed the cheque — stands to applaud. It helps that a teammate rifles the ball into the net after Ronaldo's slip, but the real triumph, says Mr Agnelli, was luring the Portuguese striker to the club in the first place.

Financial Times