Antonio Cassano has criticized harshly Cristiano Ronaldostating that it is not even “half of half” of its Brazilian namesake.
Ronaldo dominated the headlines during the recent international hiatus, his dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesús leading to his early exit from the field and leading to his suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation following the opening of a disciplinary case.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star put the saga behind him by finding the back of the net Al-Nasr in his victory over Diriyah.
This goal led him to 981 for his hugely decorated career. However, Cassano, who played with Brazilian superstar Ronaldo during his time at Madrid, does not believe Portugal’s record goalscorer has the same quality.
In an interview with AS ahead of Madrid’s Champions League clash with Roma, another of Cassano’s former sides, the former Italy forward was asked about his admiration for Azzurri legend Francesco Totti.
Cassano replied: “He was one of my biggest idols. When I had the chance to sign for Roma or Juventus, I decided to go to Rome because that was where Francesco had played.
“Then I was lucky enough to play alongside Ronaldo Nazário. As a centre-forward, I had never seen anyone like him. He was absolutely fabulous and could change a game like no one else.
“If he had had an injury-free career, he would have reached an unimaginable level. This was the real Ronaldo, not Cristiano, who is half of half of Ronnie the Phenomenon.”