Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have long competed for the title of the world’s best player. While many still support the Portuguese star, former Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has a different opinion. He ranks another star above Ronaldo.
On the YouTube channel Shoot for Love, Benitez was asked to choose between Ronaldo, whom he coached in 2015, and Mohamed Salah. Without hesitation, he picked Salah.
“Ronaldo is possibly the best finisher, but Salah is more complete,” Benitez stated. Even though he managed both Liverpool and Chelsea, he never coached Salah, only facing him as an opponent.
Benitez’s Time at Real Madrid
Benitez joined Real Madrid in mid-2015 on a three-year contract. After his success at Liverpool, expectations were high for him to keep Los Blancos performing well in Europe. However, he managed only 25 official matches.
Rafa Benitez speaks with Karim Benzema during his time with Real Madrid. (Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Despite leading LaLiga at one point, a significant loss to Barcelona affected his position. In January 2016, he resigned and was succeeded by Zinedine Zidane. Speculation arose that tensions with Ronaldo were involved in his departure, but Benitez attributed it to “internal matters at the club.”
Benitez and Ronaldo’s Relationship
Benitez’s relationship with Ronaldo became rocky amid rumors he tried to give him advice on free kicks. While Benitez denied this, Ronaldo stated: “You can always learn from coaches; some things yes, others no”.
Benitez further explained: “The only conversation I had with Ronaldo, as I knew him from United, was about analyzing how he took free kicks. We looked at the trajectory, made no adjustments, and then moved on. That was our only interaction. Everything else is false,” he clarified.