"He is the best Spanish player of all time" - When Ronaldo Nazario claimed one Barcelona icon deserved to win a Ballon d'Or in his career
Ronaldo Nazario once lavished praise on Andres Iniesta, opining that the Barcelona legend deserved the Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian superstar was part of a rare cohort of players who played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Andres Iniesta was a La Masia graduate who was promoted to the senior team in 2002. The Spanish maestro was part of a midfield trio with Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernandez, which is still considered one of the greatest midfield lineups of all time. In 16 years, Iniesta played 674 games for Barca, scoring 57 goals and creating 135 more.
During his time at the club, Iniesta won nine LaLigas, three FIFA Club World Cups, four UEFA Champions Leagues, seven Supercopas de España, and six Copas del Rey, among others. The Spaniard was also a part of La Blaugrana side when they won the European treble in the seasons 2008-09 and 2014-15.
In an interview with radio station Cadena Ser in 2018, Ronaldo Nazario lavished praise on Andres Iniesta, hailing him as the greatest player Spain has ever produced. He said (quoted by Sport):
"Iniesta deserved a Ballon d'Or, but he doesn't need it, he already has an incredible list of trophies and a great career. He is the best Spanish player of all time, I thank him for his quality, his football and his generosity."
Ronaldo Nazario spent the 1996-97 season at Camp Nou, where he played 49 games across competitions and registered 47 goals and 13 assists. At that time, Iniesta was part of the youth setup of Barcelona, which he joined from Albacete Balompié Youth in 1996.
When Ronaldo Nazario spoke about Barcelona's alleged poor relationship with Brazilian players
In a recent discussion with compatriot Romario on his YouTube channel, Ronaldo Nazario opened up about Barcelona's reputation for treating Brazilian players poorly at the club.
The two-time Ballon d'Or winner spoke about the plight of Brazilian superstars at La Blaugrana like Neymar, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho, saying:
“They have had a very big management problem for a long time, It was a punch in the stomach. I was loving the city. Rivaldo left fighting. Ronaldinho left fighting, and Neymar left fighting. Look at the story that Barcelona created with so many successful Brazilians, but in the end, the relationship deteriorated and ended very badly.”
Ronaldo Nazario joined Real Madrid five years after leaving the Catalan giants in 2002. He played 177 games for Los Blancos across competitions, netting 104 goals and creating 34 more.
