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Former Atletico Madrid defender Stefan Savic has offered a fascinating reflection on what it meant to play against two of football's greatest icons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The Montenegrin international, who spent nearly a decade in LaLiga with Diego Simeone's Atletico, often came up against the two players during his time in Spain.
Speaking to Trabzonspor Magazine, Savic admitted that regularly competing against Ronaldo and Messi shaped him into a better defender and taught him invaluable lessons on the pitch. The defender said:
"Ronaldo was relentless in the penalty area, while Messi had a special football intelligence. Playing against them improved me. I also played against Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Robert Lewandowski, and I learned something from all of them."
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In the same interview, Stefan Savic also named both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in his ideal starting XI. His team included: Van der Sar - Cafu, Vidic, Nesta, Maldini - Ronaldinho, Zidane, Xavi, Messi - Ronaldo Nazario de Lima, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Between Ronaldo and Messi, Savic has faced Messi the most. He has played against Ronaldo 10 times and Messi 11 times. Against Ronaldo, his record stands at (W2, L3, D5). With against Messi, they share the same number of wins and draws (W3, D5).
"They are opposites" - Ex-Juventus star highlights the difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Former Juventus winger Federico Bernardeschi weighed in on the GOAT debate between Cristiano and Lionel Messi and explained what makes the duo different from each other.
The Italy international heaped praise on both players, calling Messi 'divine' and hailing Ronaldo as someone who 'revolutionized football' and admired by numerous athletes. He told Tuttosport:
" They're two different worlds. Like Cristiano, Messi is something you struggle to understand as a player. But they're opposites: Messi catches your eye, he does things that seem unreal, he has an aura that doesn't belong in this world. Cristiano has another characteristic: he revolutionized football and sport in general. Messi, like Maradona, seems divine. If athletes today pay attention to every detail of their preparation, it's thanks to Cristiano."
It is worth noting that Bernardeschi and Ronaldo were teammates at Juventus. The pair played together at Juve 94 times between 2018 and 2021 and combined for four goals. He has played against Messi six times but has only won once against the Argentine.
Despite being past their prime, Ronaldo and Messi continue to go strong at their respective clubs.
