“Sometimes, he has the wrong arrogance” - Ex-Liverpool coach brands Lionel Messi a ‘diving c**t’ but picks him over Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg has named his pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While choosing the Argentine, Achterberg slammed him for diving on the pitch.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two household names in the world of football. The superstar pair established themselves as the two greatest players of this generation and after years of domination, they've moved on from Europe. Messi plies his trade in the USA for Inter Miami while Ronaldo plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
Rewind the clock five years, and the duo were still in their prime in Europe when Ronaldo played for Juventus and Messi for Barcelona. Liverpool faced the Blaugrana in the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, a truly entertaining clash over two legs.
The first saw Barcelona thrash the Merseysiders 3-0. Luis Suarez opened the scoring before Lionel Messi grabbed a brace, including an extraordinary free-kick. When asked to choose between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Achterberg recalled the famous encounter.
He said on The Football Historian Podcast:
"I would go for Messi because I like this kind of crazy magic. But when we played him I thought he was a diving c**t. Yeah, that's true. And I think sometimes he has the wrong arrogance, a little bit and I don't like that.
"I like his football skills but when we played them [Barcelona] he was f***ing diving. [He] got the free kick and then scored. I liked it when we played him at home and Robbo smashed him. So I thought to myself 'You f***ing do him c**t."
Liverpool then came back with an emphatic showing at Anfield, winning the second leg 4-0. The Merseysiders went on to achieve European glory that season and lifted the Champions League trophy.
"I think I have to go with my favorite" - Alphonse Davies chooses between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Bayern Munich star Alphonse Davies has offered his two cents on the GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Davies believes Messi has the upper hand in the conversation.
The Canadian full-back insists that the player with the most Ballon d'Or awards must be considered the best. Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, while Ronaldo has won five.
Davies said:
"Everyone thinks this is easy and they have their own opinions. I'm going to tell you my opinion on why I picked this. I respect both of them, I don't think anybody can match them. [Messi has] eight Ballon d’Ors, [Ronaldo has] five Ballon d’Ors. It's unmatched, idk how many goals and trophies they've won. But I think I have to go with my favourite. I'd pick Messi."
He added, highlighting the gap in this regard between the two footballing greats:
"In the end, the best is the one who has more Ballons d'Or, and Messi has eight. For me, therefore, there is some distance between him and Cristiano."
While the pair have entered the twilight of their careers, they continue to produce numbers in their respective leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 44 goals in 45 games for Al-Nassr last season, while Lionel Messi contributed 14 goals and 11 assists in 15 games for Inter Miami.