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Cristiano Ronaldo could miss a Champions League campaign for the first time in 18 years next season.

Ronaldo’s Juventus dropped out of the top four following a 3-0 home thrashing by AC Milan on Sunday.

Juventus have struggled in Serie A, even with Ronaldo scoring 27 goals
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Juventus have struggled in Serie A, even with Ronaldo scoring 27 goalsCredit: AFP

Goals from Brahim Diaz, Ante Rebic and Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori have put Juve at serious risk of missing out on Champions League football.

The Serie A giants are one point behind fourth-placed Napoli with three games remaining.

It has been a season to forget for Juventus, who failed to win a 10th successive Serie A title due to Inter Milan’s revival under Antonio Conte.

Despite Ronaldo scoring 27 league goals at the age of 36 this season, Juventus could still miss out on a top four spot for the first time since 2012.

And more worryingly for Ronaldo, who has one year left on his Juve contract, he could make an unwelcome return to the Europa League in the 2021/22 campaign.

Ronaldo’s only previous appearances (2) in the Europa League - then called the UEFA Cup - came in the 2002/03 season as a teenager for Sporting Lisbon.

Ronaldo has an incredible goal record in the Champions League
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Ronaldo has an incredible goal record in the Champions LeagueCredit: Opta Sports

Since then, he has always played in the Champions League and has an incredible goal record.

Ronaldo has scored 134 goals in 176 appearances in Europe’s premier club competition and has lifted five trophies.

He first tasted success in the competition in his final season with Manchester United in 2008, before going on to help Real Madrid win four trophies.

Ronaldo reached double figures in seven successive seasons with Real Madrid, but he has failed to repeat that feat with Juventus.

He has managed to find the net 14 times in 23 appearances across three seasons in Turin.

The possibility of no Ronaldo in the Champions League would see the end of his on-pitch rivalry with Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

The two superstars met in the group stages of the competition earlier this season with both clubs winning one game each.

Pirlo is under pressure with Juventus currently out of the top four
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Pirlo is under pressure with Juventus currently out of the top fourCredit: Getty

While Ronaldo has continued to score for fun as a Juventus player, he could be playing under a new manager if the club sack Andrea Pirlo.

Despite the pressure mounting on Pirlo, the 41-year-old insists he will not resign from his position.

After the AC Milan defeat, he told Sky Sport Italia: "Step aside? No.

"I have undertaken this job with a lot of enthusiasm, there are difficulties but my work goes on and I am available.

"I think I can do better and be able to get out of it, together with the team. We have to look forward, I will continue to do my job as long as I am allowed.

"We had actually started fairly well in the match, but we lost our way and this was the final result. It's difficult to explain now. There were many components that didn't work."

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