🚨 Sir Alex Ferguson on Xavi - Iniesta dominance at Barcelona and in Europe :
“I mean, Xavi and Iniesta, without doubt, they were the best. When I had to face them twice in European finals, you could go three or four minutes without touching the ball. And when you finally got it, they were on top of you immediately. Their first touch, the angles of their passes, they were incredible. Two of the greatest midfield players in the history of the game.
People always spoke about Lionel Messi, and rightly so. Samuel Eto’o was outstanding, Ronaldinho as well. But for me, the most important players were Xavi and Iniesta. Those two Spanish lads controlled everything.
We played against Barcelona in the Champions League finals twice, and they completely suffocated us. They controlled the tempo of the game, playing one-touch and two-touch football. You simply couldn’t get near them. Honestly, we could still be playing today and I still wouldn’t have touched the ball.
What made them so special was the training, the application, the dedication, the simplicity, and the honesty in the way they played. They never lost the ball. And on top of that, they were humble.
When people talk about Xavi and Iniesta, it almost feels like they’re talking about one player because they were together for so long , 15 years at the highest level with Barcelona and Spain, winning everything together. They had leadership, command, and composure. In difficult moments, they never panicked. You could press them all you wanted, but they would always find a solution.
The thing that amazed me most was how they always seemed to know where everyone was on the pitch , both teammates and opponents. You’d think you could get close enough to tackle them, but before you knew it, they were already gone.”
Romário e Ronaldo jogaram 19 jogos juntos pelo Brasil:
Romario fez 18 gols, 7 com passe de Ronaldo.
Ronaldo fez 15 gols, 4 com passe de Romário.
Foram 33 gols da dupla. Absurdo! 🇧🇷
“Depois que o Leo ganhou a Copa do Mundo, eu fui ao quarto dele não como um brasileiro ou um ex-companheiro de equipe, mas como um irmão mais velho.
Quando o vi sentado ali, finalmente segurando aquele troféu, não precisei dizer muita coisa. Apenas o abracei e disse: "Agora, o futebol pagou sua dívida com você".
Vê-lo tão feliz é a coisa mais bonita. A história está completa.”
- Ronaldinho Gaúcho sobre Messi