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#3 Ronald Koeman
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman managed Lionel Messi for only one season at the club. During his ongoing tenure at the Nou Camp, Koeman was on the receiving end of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace in a Champions League game last season.
Ahead of the game, Koeman was asked to pick between Messi and Ronaldo. But the Dutchman refused to be drawn into the debate. Instead, he lauded both players for their longevity, calling them the best players in the last decade and a half. Koeman said:
“It’s fantastic that these two players have been so long at this top level in the world. They are the best players, in my opinion, in the last 10-15 years. Being successful all this time is incredible. It’s a great compliment to those players."
While acknowledging that both players are different but 'incredible', Koeman added:
“They are different, but they have incredible stats about scoring goals, hat-tricks, about winning prizes. It’s not nice to say who is better because both are incredible, I admire both players because they gave us so many nice evenings with great goals, with great titles. Let’s hope we can enjoy them tomorrow night.”
As things turned out, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goals against Barcelona while Messi drew a blank. That meant Juventus won the group ahead of the Blaugrana.
#2 Andrea Pirlo
During his lone season in charge of Juventus in 2020-21, Andrea Pirlo managed Cristiano Ronaldo. The Bianconeri manager faced Lionel Messi twice, losing at home before a Ronaldo masterclass inspired Juventus to victory at the Camp Nou.
Ahead of the second of those meetings, Pirlo was asked to make a pick between Messi and Ronaldo. But the former player echoed his Barcelona counterpart Koeman and said:
"Koeman was right, it would be wrong to say who is better between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are two phenomenons that put on spectacles for millions of fans. We just have to thank them."
During his difficult stint at Juventus, Pirlo failed to lead the club to a tenth-straight Serie A title. But the Bianconeri did win the Coppa Italia, making Pirlo the fourth Juventus manager to win the competition as both player and manager.
While Pirlo remains without a job this season, Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United. Messi, on the other hand, moved to Ligue 1 giants PSG.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba has been in sizzling form this season. The Frenchman opened his campaign with four assists before bagging three more in the following four games. Pogba has been joined at Old Trafford by Ronaldo, who has scored thrice in two league games.
During an interview with the club's website earlier this year, Pogba spoke about his future teammate Ronaldo, and comparisons between Ronaldo and Messi:
"Messi or Ronaldo? It's a nice but trick question as there is no best for me. Two different players. They are two-player who both bring joy to watch. Many people are going to have their own opinion of them, just two legends," Pogba was quoted as saying by the official website of Manchester United."
Pogba, along with Ronaldo, is expected to play a key role as United look to end their near decade-long Premier League title drought this season.
