"Choosing between Ronaldo, Messi is like deciding favourite parent," Del Piero
Turin, May 13 (IANS) Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero on Wednesday said choosing between Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi is like deciding your favourite parent.
Messi and Ronaldo have won the FIFA Player of the Year award (Ballon d'Or) seven times between them in as many years and have broken all goal scoring records.
"I think that one of them makes the other want to better him, like all great rivalries in sport," Del Piero said in an interview with Spanish agency AS.
"They are the two players who fight to be the best, like John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Who's the best? That's like asking whether I like mum or dad more! I'd prefer not to say," said Del Piero who turned up for Delhi Dynamos last year in the Indian Super League (ISL).
Del Piero also praised Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, predicting he will be one of the greatest players of his generation.
"He's (Pogba) the player of the future. He has technical skill, physical strength and the height of an NBA (National Basketball Association) player," he said. "He is extremely modern and is destined to be the best midfielder. And he's already come a long way to achieving it."
When asked about his relationship with his former boss at Juventus, Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian striker said, “Wonderful. When he arrived, I was just starting my rehabilitation from a serious knee which made me miss half of the 1998-99 season.”
“He waited for me, and turned me back into the player I was before. That wasn’t easy but I always knew I had his respect and his admiration. He’s a great coach and a great man.”
“Real Madrid have a lot of champions in their side and it’s a real pleasure to watch all of them,” added Piero. “I’ve always been curious to watch James. I enjoy watching him play. He caught my eye at the Brazil World Cup. With experience, he is going to turn into an exceptional player.”
Real Madrid host Juventus on Thursday for the second leg of their semi-final tie at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Italian champions winning the first leg 2-1.