🚨 Sir Alex Ferguson on who is more important to his national team, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi:
🗣️ “For me, it is Cristiano Ronaldo, and I don’t think people talk about this enough when discussing international football.”
“Before Cristiano arrived, Portugal had great players. They had world-class talent, fantastic generations and some outstanding footballers, but they were still waiting for someone to take the country to another level.”
“Then Ronaldo came. Portugal qualified consistently for major tournaments, won their first major international trophy, and suddenly the belief of an entire nation changed. He transformed the mentality of Portuguese football. That is influence beyond goals and statistics.”
“When I look at Argentina, I see a country that was already one of the giants of world football before Messi. They had won major trophies, produced legendary players and built a football culture that existed long before him.”
“Argentina’s history is filled with success. In many ways, they achieved more before Messi arrived than they did during a large part of his international career. That doesn’t diminish Messi’s greatness, but it provides important context.”
“Cristiano gave Portugal something they had never had before. He didn’t just add to their history, he changed it. That is the difference.”
“Messi is one of the greatest players ever and Argentina are fortunate to have him, but Portugal’s modern football identity is inseparable from Ronaldo. He turned dreams into expectations and expectations into achievements.”
“So if you ask me who was more important to his national team, my answer is Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal had great players before him, but none achieved what he achieved for the nation. That is why his impact is unique.”
{@dailymail}
Burnley manager Michael Jackson on his conversation with Pep Guardiola before facing Arsenal:
🗣️ “I had a long conversation with Pep Guardiola recently and honestly, speaking with someone like him always gives you ideas tactically.
We spoke about positioning, pressing, and how difficult Arsenal can be when they start controlling transitions early in games.
Pep knows better than anyone how dangerous Arsenal are, so listening to his details and advice was very valuable for me as a coach.
Of course, nobody is giving you a magic formula to stop a team like Arsenal, but those conversations help you think differently and prepare smarter.
Even though we’ve been relegated, we still want to compete properly and make life difficult for them.
If Arsenal think they’re coming here for an easy three points in the title race, they could be surprised.”