Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has insisted that he would not swap Cristiano Ronaldo for Liverpool star Mohamed Salah if given the chance.
The Mirror report that Zidane also backed Ronaldo to be the star of the show in Saturday’s Champions League final between the two teams in Kiev.
The 33-year-old forward has scored a remarkable 44 goals this season, the same as Salah, including 15 in 12 Champions League appearances.
When asked if he would swap the pair, he seemed certain in his answer:
No. I would not swap Cristiano or any of my players. Cristiano is the utmost. He’s the best, so he will be of utmost importance.
I’m always calm because that’s the way I am, that’s my nature. My nature is calm and at the end, it’s better to have Cristiano, better to have Cristiano with you because he proves that every year.
Some players cannot handle pressure. For him, it’s the other way round., The more pressure you give him, the more you criticise him, the better he plays.
Salah has enjoyed a remarkable debut season at Anfield, scoring those 44 goals across all competitions having cost the Reds a meagre £35m.
His sensational form has reportedly alerted clubs across Europe, including Madrid, but it’s believed that Liverpool would not even consider any offers for the ‘Egyptian King’.
Of course, Ronaldo has been scoring at that level for years, and the five times Ballon d’Or winner is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever.
Zidane also refuted claims of the Reds being hungrier than his side, saying:
How can anyone say that they (Liverpool) have more hunger than us? We have the chance to win it for a third time. What this club has is a desire to lift this trophy. No one can say they have more hunger than us.
A lot of their players have not played a final so what? They are going to go out on die on that pitch to win the game and we have to be ready for that.
