FC Barcelona superstar and captain, Lionel Messi have spoke about the ‘special’ rivalry he had with former Real Madrid all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, and how El Clasico is just not the same without the Portuguese superstar around.
“It was a special duel and it will remain [in people’s minds] forever, because it lasted for many years and it is not easy to maintain such levels for a long time,” Messi said.
”Plus, the teams we played in were also very demanding, both Real Madrid and Barca, the two best teams in the world. Competing on an equal footing for so many years, I think it will remain [in people’s minds] forever.”
“The sporting duel between us was very nice on a personal level and I think people had fun too, whether they were fans of Madrid or Barca, or even only football fans in general. Obviously, when Cristiano was at Real Madrid, the matches were always special.”
”The matches against Real always mean a lot, but when Cristiano was there they became much more special. But it’s a time that has passed now, that we have experienced.
Now, we have to look ahead to the future.” Messi and Ronaldo, have over 30 El Clasico goals between themselves from 2009 till Ronaldo’s departure to Serie A side, Juventus in 2018.
