REAL MADRID LEGEND Jorge Valdano believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s unrivaled ego is the main motivation behind his incredible list of achievements.
Ronaldo declared himself the “best player in history” after winning a fifth Ballon d’Or last week , equalling Lionel Messi’s record mark.
His comments sparked fresh discussion from current and former players as to his place among the game’s greats and how he compares to the Barcelona star.
Advertisement
Valdano, who enjoyed successful stints with Los Blancos as both player and manager, believes Ronaldo is fuelled by his inner-drive rather than his rivalry with Messi.
“Cristiano has the most profitable ego in the history of football,” Valdano told Spanish broadcaster Onda Cero .
“He has an extraordinary amount of confidence in himself and that’s allowed him to improve a lot.
“There are people who are confused by their ego and it turns into an excess of confidence. He puts it to work every week.
“Messi and Cristiano have opposite profiles but I do not think either of them accepts advice. They are capable of doing things few have done in the history of football.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
5 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'Cristiano has the most profitable ego in the history of football' - Real legend Valdano
REAL MADRID LEGEND Jorge Valdano believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s unrivaled ego is the main motivation behind his incredible list of achievements.
Ronaldo declared himself the “best player in history” after winning a fifth Ballon d’Or last week , equalling Lionel Messi’s record mark.
His comments sparked fresh discussion from current and former players as to his place among the game’s greats and how he compares to the Barcelona star.
Valdano, who enjoyed successful stints with Los Blancos as both player and manager, believes Ronaldo is fuelled by his inner-drive rather than his rivalry with Messi.
“Cristiano has the most profitable ego in the history of football,” Valdano told Spanish broadcaster Onda Cero .
“He has an extraordinary amount of confidence in himself and that’s allowed him to improve a lot.
“There are people who are confused by their ego and it turns into an excess of confidence. He puts it to work every week.
“Messi and Cristiano have opposite profiles but I do not think either of them accepts advice. They are capable of doing things few have done in the history of football.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Paul McShane hits the bar in stoppage-time as Premier League-chasing Cardiff steal draw at Reading
Liverpool and Egypt star Mo Salah named African Footballer of the Year
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ballon D'Or La Liga Cristiano Ronaldo Football Jorge Valdano Castellano Lionel Messi Real Madrid unrivaled