“No one is Messi, and Messi is not Ronaldinho” – Bojan Krkic explains his choice for ‘best player in history’ of football
Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho continue to be mentioned among the finest players the game has ever seen. Former Barcelona attacker Bojan Krkic has thrown his support behind the Brazilian in the eternal debate for football's greatest.
Krikic was fortunate to witness both players at Barcelona. The attacker, in his early years, was even nicknamed the 'next Messi' due to his striking similarities with the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Reflecting on those moments, the Spaniard has narrated that he knew he was no Messi:
"You know, at that age, it's difficult to manage what the people say about you," he was quoted as saying as per Sport.optus.com.au. You can only control what you can do. I knew from the first day that I was not Messi. And I was not anyone."
Like Krkic, Messi was also backed to follow in the footsteps of Ronaldinho at Barcelona. Although the Argentine went on to enjoy tremendous success at the club, he turned out to be vastly different than Ronaldinho, adding a new dimension to the game.
Krkic said in this regard that each player is unique in his own right. He also seized the opportunity to pronounce Ronaldinho as the greatest player in history.
"No one is Messi, and Messi is not Ronaldinho, and for me Ronaldinho is the best player in history," he said.
It goes without saying Ronaldinho was a mentor to the young Messi when the Argentine was promoted to Barcelona's first team in the mid-2000s. The Brazilian not only helped the then-teenaged Messi to settle in, but he also passed the baton over to him, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Lionel Messi reportedly eyeing Barcelona return this summer
Lionel Messi parted ways with the Blaugrana last summer, joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent. However, after finding it difficult to adapt to life in France, he's being linked with a return to the Camp Nou.
According to El Chiringuito, Messi is considering calling time on his spell at the Parc des Princes, and reuniting with his old pals in Catalonia this summer. It remains to be seen how things pan out at the end of the season.