Ronaldinho is one of the greatest footballers of the modern era – and he once made it clear his admiration for Zinedine Zidane.
The Brazilian was at the peak of his powers in the early to mid-2000s as he spearheaded Brazil and Barcelona to glory.
The attacker was part of the Brazil squad which won the 2002 World Cup, the South American nation’s fifth crown and places them at the top of the competition’s winners’ list.
A move to Barca from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003 yielded two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2006 as the Catalans beat Arsenal 1-0 in the final.
His career at Barcelona ended in 2008 when he moved to AC Milan, before spells at Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro, Queretaro and Fluminense led to him retiring in 2015.
Zidane’s legendary career included most notably spells at Juventus and then at Real Madrid, where he became a Galactico alongside the likes of David Beckham, Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo.
For France, Zidane helped his country win the World Cup for the first time and on home soil in 1998, before winning the European Championships in 2000.
His playing career at club level saw him win league titles in Italy and Spain, as well as the Champions League in 2002 with Real Madrid.
Getty)
The Frenchman’s playing career ended on a sour note when he retired at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and was sent off after headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest as his last act as a professional football player.
After a 1-1 draw, Italy beat France on penalties to claim the World Cup for the fourth time.
As manager of Real across a couple of stints in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, Zidane won two La Liga titles and the Champions League on three occasions.
Ronaldinho and Zidane crossed paths several times on the pitch throughout their playing careers for club and country, the last time being at the 2006 World Cup where France took on Brazil at the quarter-final stage.
Zidane produced a phenomenal performance to help the French to a 1-0 victory, providing the assist for Thierry Henry’s winner.
And the Brazilian once made clear his admiration for the French playmaker as he labelled Zidane as one of his idols and hailed his abilities.
He said: “Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Barcelona, France, Brazil