EL CLÁSICO
Capello: "Messi is a genius and Cristiano Ronaldo is not"
"Cristiano is a fantastic goal scorer but he lacks the innate talent of Messi". The Italain also feels that the Portuguese striker is set to win the Ballon d'Or. Russia - Spain
- A few weeks ago you claimed that the best players of all-time were Pelé, Maradona and Messi. These declarations raised many an eye-brow in Spain. Why did you omit Cristiano?
- It's simple, Cristiano Ronaldo is a great goal scorer but he doesn't have the brilliance of Lionel Messi.
- In what way?
- Messi at the age of 17 or 18 was a genius, Cristiano was a good player who improved through hard work and effort and has become an excellent forward. The Real Madrid No. 7 is not just a great player but an excellent one however he doesn't have that ability to mesmerize or pull off moves that are unimaginable. That for me is the difference.
- So, you're claiming that Messi was born an excellent player whilst Cristiano worked hard at becoming one.
- That's exactly it.
- Do you feel that Cristiano is on track to claim the Ballon d' Or?
- Yes, certainly he's my favourite for the year. He was instrumental in Portugal winning Euro 2016 and Madrid winning the Champions League ... He'd be the worthy winner. However when we talk about genius players then that's a totally different debate.