Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has picked Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi over Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo.
“For me Messi, but I couldn’t admire Ronaldo more than I do already,” Klopp told YouTube channel ‘freekickerz’.
Advertisement
“The explanation is the following. We’ve played against both already and both are almost impossible to defend.
“But Messi has much lower physical requirements from birth on. If you could paint yourself a perfect player, it would have Ronaldo’s height, he could jump and run as high or quick as Ronaldo can do. And what is then even added to that is his total attitude, it is absolutely perfect and professional, it couldn’t be any better.
“And on the other side there is the small Messi who makes everything look so simple. And therefore I like him maybe a little bit more as a player on the pitch. But Cristiano is also an absolutely incredible player…It’s really difficult, therefore,” he added.
Messi has been named as the best player in the world six times as he has six Ballon d’Or trophies in his kitty while Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo comes a close second with five.
“…what both have in common is that both have left their footprints for such a long time,” said Klopp.
“There are also some younger players who have a similar potential, but to do that over this time period is even more incredible,” he added.