Messi Is A Better Player Than Ronaldo Says Johan Cruyff

Former Barcelona player and one time coach Johan Cruyff says that current Lionel Messi is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting that the Real Madrid highest goal scorer is just “a great goal scorer” who does not concern himself with how the team plays overall.

Cruyff who played at the Camp Nou from 1973 to 1978 and later managed the club from 1988 to 1996, were he guided them to their first Champions League trophy. As a coach Cruyff has been credited with introducing the “Tiki-Taka” possession-based approach which Barca and Spain has used to win trophies in recent years.

The 68-year-old said in Mundo Deportivo that Messi was more of a team player than Ronaldo, who is only worried with goals, not passes or assists. “I have always liked the little technical players, because I was like that, Cristiano is a good player, but he is a goal scorer. He will never be a player who can make a team, or who is concerned that the team plays well, he is just worried about finishing. By contrast, Messi is much more a team player, he gives passes and makes many more assists as a player, not as a goal scorer, although he scores many goals” Cruyff said.

Cruyff also claimed that the distinction between being a great player and a great goal scorer was too delicate for most football fans to understand. “For me there is a big difference between being a great player and a goal scorer, that is why you must look at things differently, looking at the details. Very few people do that. It is difficult to explain because nobody will understand it” he said.

Cruyff had this to say concerning who would win the 2015 Ballon d’Or award “There is no debate, nobody is at Messi's level, they will give it to him again."