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'Ronaldinho Ranks Ahead Of Lionel Messi As The Greatest Player Of All Time,' Says Ex-Barcelona Player

'Ronaldinho Ranks Ahead Of Lionel Messi As The Greatest Player Of All Time,' Says Ex-Barcelona Player

Gerard Deulofeu might have been teammates with Lionel Messi, but the ex-Barcelona man is going with Ronaldinho in the football GOAT debate.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Former Barcelona player Gerard Deulofeu has branded Brazil legend Ronaldinho as the best footballer of all time ahead of Lionel Messi.

The 27-year-old Spaniard came through Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, but he only made 23 appearances during two separate spells at the Camp Nou.

Despite being at the club at the same time as Messi, Deulofeu insisted that Ronaldinho ranked above any player he has seen on the pitch.

The Udinese player also opened up about his experience of watching a match at the Camp Nou with the 41-year-old Brazilian legend next to him.

Deulofeu told Spanish newspaper Marca: "For me, Ronaldinho is the best player ever.

"I met him. I went to watch a game at the Camp Nou and he was sitting next to me. It was a wonderful experience."

PA
PA
PA

Ronaldinho is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time after a glittering career at both club level and on the international stage.

The former Barcelona and AC Milan superstar, who played alongside Messi, lifted two La Liga titles, a Champions League and two Spanish Super Cups during his time at the Camp Nou.

Ronaldinho also captured the Serie A title during his spell with Milan, as well as winning the 1999 Copa America and 2002 World Cup with Brazil.

The 2005 Ballon d'Or winner previously ruled out the idea of naming Messi as the 'GOAT of football' after admitting it is "hard to identify who is the best in history."

Ronaldinho explained: "I'm glad for Messi because he's a friend, besides he's been a banner of Barcelona.

"I don't like comparisons because it's hard to identify who is the best in history, there's Diego Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo, I can't say that Messi is the best ever, he is the best in his time."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Ronaldinho, Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Spain, La Liga

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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