Sergi Roberto has been a revelation for Barcelona. The 24-year-old is a central midfielder by trade but has looked at home at right back as Barcelona struggled to adapt to the loss of Dani Alves to Juventus.
Born in Reus, Tarragona, Roberto is a Catalonian through and through and like his teammate Gerard Pique, is unafraid to voice his opinions. Invited to speak on the RAC-1 radio programme 'Tu Diras' on Monday evening, the Barcelona lad said that Real Madrid have had "lady luck on their side in many games where they've scored at the death".
This follows the hypothesis of many critics who have said that Real Madrid are a lucky team – though 37 unbeaten out of their last 37 is a record that speaks for itself. He was also asked the footballing world's favourite question – who's better? Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? As expected, he plonked for his teammate, but it was his description of the distance between the two that really caught the imagination -
“You can't compare them, forget the Ballon d'Or, everyone knows that Messi is the best, he's light years ahead”
Everyone? At least one half of Spain (if not the footballing universe) would beg to disagree I would wager.
Read, Also – Top 15 Pictures of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Roberto's comments come in the wake of Real Madrid winning their third trophy of the calendar year 2016, the Club World Cup, and will add to the spice of the occasion when Madrid meet Barcelona again in 2017.
Meanwhile, he was also effusive in his praise for Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta, and quite rightly so.
“Watching Andrés and Leo play when they combine is fantastic. It's a lovely duo for the spectators to watch because they make magic happen with their feet and the ball.”
The two La Masia products are true jewels of the famed Barcelona system and Roberto is too
"Everyone now knows the greatness of these two players. Leo is the best player of all time. Andrés is a home-grown player who has been with us for a long time. It's very noticeable when he's not there. He's one of the most important players in the team”
His point about Andrés Iniesta's presence especially is an astute observation – Barcelona look an entirely different, and a whole lot more potent, team when the little magician on the field. Their passing and movement is less predictable and more incisive, not to mention Iniesta's unparalleled ability to retain the ball (whether through smart passing or through his stupendous dribbling ability).
