"It’s very clear. He had everything" - When former Real Madrid manager snubbed Ronaldo to name Liverpool legend as the best player he's worked with
Former Real Madrid manager Rafael Benitez once snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo to name Steven Gerrard as the best player he has worked with. The Portuguese briefly played under the Spanish manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, the legendary English midfielder was a key figure during Benitez's time at Anfield. The Spanish manager was in charge of Liverpool for six seasons, from 2004 to 2010, overseeing 350 games and registering a 55.4 percentage win ratio.
Speaking on The Overlap in September this year, Benitez named Steven Gerrard as the best player he has coached ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
"It’s not about trust. Stevie is the best player that I have ever coached. Because when I was in Madrid I couldn’t say that! But now I can say that. It’s very clear. He had everything," said Benitez.
He continued:
"What was missing was the tactical knowledge a foreign player has because they play in this position. He was so good, he had so much energy that he could get into the box, go as a full-back, do whatever he wanted to do, but he needed to understand the position."
Benitez took charge at Real Madrid in June 2015 at the end of Carlo Ancelotti's first stint at the club. However, he would oversee just 25 games for the LaLiga giants, where he registered 17 wins and three defeat.
Los Blancos ultimately removed the Spaniard from the hot seat at the Santiago Bernabeu in January 2016 and installed Zinedine Zidane as his replacement. Benitez went on to take charge of Newcastle United in March that year.
How many free-kicks has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid?
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 33 free-kicks for Real Madrid in his career. The Portuguese arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored his first two free-kicks for Los Blancos against FC Zurich in September that year. Ronaldo went on to spend nine seasons with Real Madrid, winning countless trophies.
He finished his time with the Spanish champions in 2018 and joined Juventus. By then, the Portuguese had scored 450 goals from 438 games for Los Blancos. Interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo's final free-kick for Real Madrid was against Gremio in the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2017.
The 39-year-old has scored 64 free-kicks in his career for club and country. His most recent was for Al-Nassr against Al Feiha in August this year.