“A natural athlete who can excel in practically any sport” – Former Real Madrid doctor snubs Cristiano Ronaldo as he names best player he ever worked with
Former Real Madrid doctor Jesus Olmo told Ideal that Gareth Bale is a better athlete than Cristiano Ronaldo when naming the best player he has ever worked with.
Olmo worked closely with former Madrid managers Rafael Benitez, Zinedine Zidane, and current boss Carlo Ancelotti during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He got the chance to see some of Los Blancos' top talents up close, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale, and Karim Benzema.
Many have touted Ronaldo as the greatest athlete in football history, but Olmo disagreed in 2020.
He claimed that Bale was the best player he has worked with in an intriguing interview, saying:
"Perhaps the best athlete I've ever seen is Bale. Gareth Bale is a natural athlete who can excel in practically any sport. He has incredible athletic skills, and I would also say technical skills. He is the one who impressed me most in all aspects."
When at Real Madrid together,
Gareth Bale had 32 assists to Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo had 9 assists to Gareth Bale
Great duo! https://t.co/zD5IIZMeTw
Bale, 33, joined Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for £90.9 million.
The Welshman went on to make 258 appearances at the Bernabeu, scoring 106 goals and contributing 67 assists.
Bale's time in Madrid was marred by constant injury issues which drew criticism from fans and the media.
He missed 34 fixtures through injury in the entirety of his last campaign with Ancelotti's side before leaving on a free transfer to Los Angeles FC this past summer.
Many, however, acclaim Ronaldo's dedication to keeping himself in top-notch condition, despite being aged 37.
The Portuguese made 438 appearances for Madrid during his nine seasons at the club, scoring 450 goals and creating 131 assists.
Injuries were a rarity for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who missed just 34 games throughout his time at the Bernabeu through fitness issues.
Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov also snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best trainer at Old Trafford
Berbatov also surprisingly snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo as the best trainer he worked with at United during his four seasons (2008-12) at Old Trafford.
The Bulgarian chose former United right-back Gary Neville instead, saying:
“Purely on training and wanting to produce in every training session and working hard, I must say Gary Neville is up there."
He continued:
"He trained very hard every session, to be honest. It was just like his professionalism and wanting to still show that he was better than the other players around him."
Training https://t.co/YZfTzRtaJY
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently back at United where he bagged 24 goals in 38 appearances last season.
However, the Portuguese striker has stumbled this campaign with just two goals in 12 appearances across competitions.
Alongside this, the forward is having to settle for a bit-part role under manager Erik ten Hag as he has started just half of those 12 games.