Cristiano Ronaldo surely has attracted mixed opinions from people around the world but those doesn’t really matter to him. If there’s any way he could look at it, it would be as a source of motivation.
A few weeks ago, the former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez was quoted as calling CR7 “stupid” in the media – a statement which he has since denied. Xavi said he was misquoted.
Some issues are always complicated by the media and this makes it advisable for players to mind their choice of words in the social media or during interviews.
The former Barcelona midfielder Xavi who had a brief discussion with AS in Spain explained that the comments he made to The New Arab in March comparing Lionel Messi and Ronaldo were misunderstood.
On March 23, the Al-Saad SC of Qatar player said in an interview that:
“Ronaldo is a goalscorer, and Messi is also a goalscorer; however, Messi is a much better team player than Ronaldo. I think Messi is the best footballer in the world. In football, there are two important elements: fitness and intelligence. Ronaldo is very fit but Messi has both the fitness as well as the intelligence, so simply put he is better.”
Too bad that a top-class player like Xavi had to compare Messi and Ronaldo – a dangerous debate which most stars have avoided like plague. He should have known there’s no way he won’t be misquoted.
If Xavi Hernandez had said he thinks Messi is the world best (as his fans always argue) there would be no reason for this twisted interpretations which he’s paying dearly for.
Reports in the Spanish capital has claimed that Xavi said Cristiano Ronaldo is “stupid”, “dim-witted” or whatever feels like that.
Now Xavi is saying:
“The translation of what I said was erroneous.
“I said that there are two types of speed in football. There is the physical side, and in this aspect Messi and Cristiano are at the same level.
“And then there is the speed at which you are able to connect with your teammates, and in this aspect Messi is of the highest level, whereas Cristiano is not.
“Cristiano does not seem like a player who excels at linking up with his teammates. He is not a passer of the ball and that is why Messi is the best in the world for me. He has both kinds of speed, both the physical one and the one that allows him to link up with his teammates.
“I never talked about intelligence and I never said Cristiano lacks intelligence.”
In a way it seems what Xavi Hernandez was trying to say is that CR7 IS NOT STUPID BUT HE’S MORE STUPID THAN MESSI, ON THE PITCH.
Even if he said so, Ronaldo won’t take him to court. He has the right to say how he feels.
Footballers say shit to themselves. Zidane and many other players have suffered for bad-mouthing. I think there should be a clause if FIFA laws which says no one should be punished for a violent attack to verbal provocations.