Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello has stated that Cristiano Ronaldo does not rank above Lionel Messi Diego Maradona and Ronaldo Nazario in football history.
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, with many supporters pointing to his longevity trophies and goal scoring records as reasons he should be considered the best ever.
However, Capello offered a contrasting view while speaking on the ON Sport Hat trick programme, where he explained why he believes the Portuguese forward falls short of other legendary players.
According to the retired Italian coach, while Cristiano Ronaldo is an exceptional athlete and prolific goal scorer, he lacks a specific quality that sets Messi Maradona and the Brazilian Ronaldo apart.
“Cristiano is a top goal scorer and a fantastic athlete, but he doesn’t have the special talent of Messi, Maradona, or Ronaldo Nazario.
“The cleverness that the others had is missing in Cristiano. He can’t be compared to those three,” Capello said.
Capello officially retired from coaching in 2018 after a highly successful managerial career that included working with Ronaldo Nazario during his time at Real Madrid.
He is also remembered for attempting to sign an 18 year old Lionel Messi for Juventus after the Argentine featured briefly for Barcelona in a friendly match against the Italian club.
Cristiano Ronaldo has repeatedly described himself in interviews as the greatest football player of all time.
Now aged 41, the Portugal international is reportedly just 39 goals away from becoming the first footballer to score 1,000 official career goals.
