“He is very friendly, he has a very nice charisma” – Lisandro Martinez makes honest admission about playing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Lisandro Martinez has expressed pride at playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United and Lionel Messi for the Argentina national team.
The Argentine joined the Red Devils from Ajax in the summer for £51.6 million and has impressed for Erik ten Hag's side.
He has made 16 appearances across competitions and has forged a formidable partnership with Raphael Varane in defense.
Martinez also plays alongside Ronaldo for Manchester United, with the Portuguese forward returning to Old Trafford in 2021 from Juventus.
The Portuguese is often dubbed as one of the greatest players of all time but so too is Martinez's compatriot Messi.
The United defender has delivered his verdict on playing with the duo for club and country, telling ESPN Argentina (via Mirror):
"I feel privileged, it is an honour to share with them. You learn, you absorb. They have won everything, they want more, an admirable mentality and you give your best in every workout.
Martinez then commented on working with Cristiano Ronaldo:
"From the first day, Cristiano treated me well. He is very friendly, he has a very nice charisma, bringing smiles, making people laugh. He is very professional, he arrives early, he is the last to leave and he takes care of himself at meals. It all highlights why he has had such an impressive career."
Martinez 🗣:
Playing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi is Pride. https://t.co/m3RBPJ9mu1
Ronaldo has struggled at the start of the season with just three goals and an assist in 13 appearances across competitions.
He has started seven of those 13 games and speculation has grown over his future.
Meanwhile, Messi has been in superb form for Paris Saint-Germain this campaign, making 16 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing 12 assists.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger compared Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Wenger discussed the legendary duo in an interview with SoFoot in 2020 and claimed that modern day football had evolved more into the United striker's style of playing.
The Frenchman responded to a question over which of the two he preferred (via Mirror):
"I often say that Cristiano Ronaldo is the athlete-footballer, and Lionel Messi, the exceptional artist, this is the difference between the two."
He continued,
“Afterwards, everyone prefers one or the other. When we like the game, we prefer the artist. The creative makes you discover things that you do not see, that you have not even considered from the stands."
Lionel Messi really made Barcelona fans believe that winning 10 La Liga titles in 13 years is easy. https://t.co/7nQ0MqQwNm
Wenger touched on how football is now more suited to a player of Cristiano Ronaldo's ilk:
"It's [creative style] finer, even if I don't deny the quality of the Portuguese star. I just believe that football has evolved into the Ronaldo style. This does not mean that we should eliminate the creative. The rules must evolve to make the game more spectacular, more beautiful to see."