Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid, La Liga
Josh Lawless
Zinedine Zidane embarrassed his fair share of opponents during his glittering playing career but the Real Madrid icon was on the receiving end of a rinsing from the "greatest" player he played with.
The 1998 Ballon d'Or winner played alongside a whole host of greats at club and international level, including Thierry Henry, Alessandro Del Piero, David Beckham and Patrick Vieira.
But Zidane was in no doubts that Ronaldo Nazario is the best he has ever shared a dressing room with and in a recent sit-down interview with four-time NBA champion Tony Parker for the SKWEEK Show, he recalled being humiliated by the Brazilian legend on a regular basis in training.
As per MARCA, Zidane said: "It was fun when you were with Ronaldo, the Brazilian, and he said to you, 'Today, I'm going to nutmeg you twice.' He said it, and he did it."
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Zidane and Ronaldo played together at Real, winning La Liga in 2002/03 as part of the Galacticos.
Having already played for Inter Milan and Barcelona and scored a hatful of goals, 'O Fenomeno' completed a €46 million move to Los Blancos and scored 104 goals in 177 appearances.
Injuries stopped the two-time Ballon d'Or winner from reaching even higher heights in his career but Zidane has always referred to him as the best he has ever played with and was in awe of some of the things he could do.
"Ronaldo, without hesitation," he said when asked who is the best player he played with by CNN.
"The best. We see, very often form, very big players step up and perform in big games and that was what he did.
"I was especially impressed with him during training. He had such an ease with the ball, it was quite disconcerting.
"Sometimes he irritated people but it was part of his personality - to irritate people from time to time - even in daily life not on the pitch. He is number one."
In the same interview, Zidane was asked what separates a good player from being great and he again used Ronaldo as a reference point for greatness and called him "the exception".
He explained: "For journalists in general, what makes a very good player is what you win. For me, on a personal level, the difference is actually why I say Ronaldo is number one.
"Because every day I'd train with him and every day it would be different - I saw something new and something beautiful.
"That's what makes the difference for between a very good player and the exception, who for me is Ronaldo."