A FRONT three of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Thierry Henry would be fit to grace any all-time XI
Especially when it has Ronaldinho and Andres Iniesta pulling the strings behind them!
Belletti scored Barcelona’s winner in the 2006 Champions League final against ArsenalCredit: Bongarts – Getty
Former Barcelona defender Juliano Belletti – scorer of the winner in the 2006 Champions League final and a few belters for Chelsea – has played with some of the biggest stars to grace the game.
He told Four Four Two magazine what his Perfect XI of ex-team-mates would be.
And it would take some beating…
DIDA
Belletti says: “I was a goalkeeper myself until I turned 15, so I know this position too. Dida possessed all the required elements of a world-class No.1.”
GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA
“Zambrotta had the ideal balance between his offensive and defensive duties. It wasn’t easy to fight with him for a place in the Barcelona team.”
JOHN TERRY
“Terry’s technical ability was amazing. Bearing in mind that he faced great opponents every week, his consistency was outstanding.”
CARLES PUYOL
“Puyol shared several traits with Terry: speed, top tackling and being exceptional in the air, with a high level of competitiveness.”
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Belletti (bottom left) was a Barca team-mate of Ronaldinho (top left) and Puyol (bottom right)Credit: Getty
ROBERTO CARLOS
“One of the most complete athletes sport has ever seen. It was difficult facing him in the many Clasicos that we played against each other – he demanded a lot from me.”
CLAUDE MAKELELE
“Claude transformed the holding midfielder position. He had the perfect combination of flawless positioning, tough tackling and excellent teamwork.”
ANDRES INIESTA
“I was lucky to see his development at Barça. It was beautiful to watch when he changed his mind in the middle of a movement, and how he could still execute it to perfection. He’s among the best players of all time and probably the greatest Spanish footballer ever.”
RONALDINHO
“I played with him throughout his two most magical Barça seasons. No other athlete did what he did: the best in the world, winning games for us… and always smiling!”
LIONEL MESSI
“It was a privilege to play with Messi during his beginning at Barcelona, and no one in sport has been able to maintain such a high level for 14 consecutive years.”
RONALDO
“Without all the injuries, Ronaldo could have been the greatest ever. What else can I say about someone who scored two goals in a World Cup final?”
THIERRY HENRY
“I tell my kids to watch videos of him as much as possible. His technical ability was out of this world, and he was so competitive. Rarely do you witness someone like him at any time in history.”
The latest issue of FourFourTwo is on sale now and has a run down of the 100 greatest players to have played in the Premier League, including exclusive interviews with David Ginola and Denis Irwin. To sign up for a FourFourTwo subscription starting at three issues for £3 visit www.magazinesdirect.com/fft/81at
Ronald Koeman all-but rules Barcelona out of La Liga title running after 1-1 draw with Eibar leaves them sixth in table
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
