Fabio Capello says Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is a bigger genius than Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo and believes that the Camp Nou side should never sell the Argentine forward.
Real Madrid’s Ronaldo secured his third Ballon d’Or title at the annual FIFA Gala on Monday evening and has been widely given plaudits for his accolades last year.
Former England boss Capello has discussed the battle between Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi for the title, which has been shared between the two over the past seven years.
“Can Ronaldo win more Ballons d’Or than Messi? It’s a very interesting battle. Messi is a bigger genius than Ronaldo, but he is having some problems at his club and that could cause some problems,” Capello told COPE.
“Cristiano is very solid and mentally very strong. He wants to become the best ever and plays in an amazing team.
“All his team-mates help him and he in turn helps out the team as well. It’s crucial to have the respect of all your team-mates and to always train well.”
Capello then added his thoughts on Messi’s future at Barcelona and called on the Camp Nou side to do all they can to keep him at the club.
“Barcelona should never sell Messi. How can you sell someone like Messi?
“I saw him play at the weekend. He didn’t have a good start and did not seem to be enjoying himself. And then all of a sudden he awoke and put in a superb performance. Barcelona simply cannot sell a player like him.”