Capello: Ronaldo is great but not a genius

79-year-old Fabio Capello has sparked another debate in the football world. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

The experienced specialist, who has coached various clubs in Italy and led the Russian national team, shared his thoughts about Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with The Touchline publication. This was reported by euro-football.ru.

According to Capello, Ronaldo is one of the great scorers of his era. However, he noted that the Portuguese player does not possess the innate talent of Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, or Brazilian Ronaldo.

“Ronaldo is an amazing footballer, but I have never seen in him the genius level of Messi, Maradona, or Ronaldo,” Capello said. The Italian expert pointed out that footballers can be divided into two categories: those who achieve success through willpower and hard work, and those who create miracles on the field with their natural talent.

In his opinion, Ronaldo belongs to the first group. Despite being 41 years old, Ronaldo continues his career in Saudi Arabia and scores many goals.

He is a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and has played for the world's strongest clubs. Such achievements are the dream of any footballer.

However, Capello views Ronaldo's successes as the result of hard work and discipline. The coach called him a “machine”: he scores from long distances, is dominant in the air, and has precise shots.

But this is not genius, rather the outcome of years of training and self-improvement. Capello cited unique talents in football history as examples.

Maradona easily dribbled past defenders on the field; Brazilian Ronaldo changed direction with speed and scored; Messi reads the field like a chessboard and performs at a high level. Ronaldo, according to Capello, mastered everything through practice.

In the coach's view, Ronaldo's achievements prove he is a great footballer, but it is difficult to include him among the “geniuses.” Capello presented these opinions not as an insult, but as the conclusion of an expert who has observed football for many years.

For this reason, this issue will naturally cause many more debates among football fans.