"Takes care of all the details", "Capable of doing anything" - When Pjanic compared Messi and Ronaldo after playing with both
Miralem Pjanic's old comments about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have resurfaced. The former Barcelona star is one of the few who has played with both the superstars and was asked to pick the best.
The Bosnian midfielder shared the dressing room with Ronaldo at Juventus before he was transferred to Barcelona. He then joined hands with Messi, but could not get on the pitch as much at Camp Nou.
Pjanic was straightforward with his answer and believed that Ronaldo was a true athlete while Messi was an alien on earth. He claimed that the two have done spectacular things in the last two decades and deserve to be appreciated.
He told Julio Maldonado:
"With the passing of time we'll be able to fully appreciate what these players have achieved in these past 20 years. They are incredible. As a player and a person, [Cristiano] is spectacular. He's a true athlete who takes care of all the details. [Messi] is an alien. He's an absolute phenomenon, capable of doing anything with the ball."
It was not the first time the Bosnian spoke about playing with two of the greatest players of this generation.
On playing with Messi and Ronaldo
Pjanic : "I am very lucky to have played with two aliens, which is like winning a title. They are different, but at the same time very similar."
He previously said:
"I feel very lucky to have played with these two aliens like this is like a trophy. They are different, Leo and Cris, but also very similar: they live for competition and victory, even in training. Cristiano takes care of every little detail, but don't think Messi isn't a hard worker. Leo, however, has a unique gift: he does everything with extreme simplicity. Even penalties."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are heading towards the end of their careers
Lionel Messi won the 2022 FIFA World Cup earlier this month and fulfilled his lifelong dream of winning the trophy for Argentina. The 35-year-old forward is now considering his club future, with PSG and Barcelona keen on having him next season.
Cristiano had a World Cup to forget as he was benched for the knockout games after starting in all three group stage matches and scoring just once. He is reportedly close to joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a free transfer after he was released by Manchester United.