"Real Madrid is the best club in the world right now" - Ex-Barcelona star makes big claim about Los Blancos
Former Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo has declared Real Madrid 'the best' team in the world. The Brazilian, who plies his trade for Girona, faced the reigning Spanish champions in LaLiga on Sunday (February 23) but could do little to prevent his club from falling to a 2-0 defeat after coming off the bench.
Speaking to the press after the game, Melo said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):
“Real Madrid is the best club in the world right now.”
Arthur joined Barcelona in 2018 from Gremio for a reported €31 million and played 72 games for the club, scoring four times and providing six assists, to help the club to one LaLiga and one Spanish Super Cup. He left the club in 2020 to join Juventus for a reported €80.6 million.
He has faced Los Blancos six times, winning three, drawing once, and losing twice.
"They called me five days later to tell me that the extension couldn’t happen" - Former Real Madrid striker on why he left Barcelona earlier in his career
Former Real Madrid striker Ronaldo Nazario recently reflected on his exit from Barcelona early in his career. The Brazilian legend is among the few players who have represented Los Blancos and La Blaugrana during their careers.
Speaking about his exit from the Catalan club in 1997, the two-time World Cup winner said during a discussion with DAZN (via Managing Madrid):
“I was about to sign my contract extension after the end of the season and then went to Brazil on vacation. Then they called me five days later to tell me that the extension couldn’t happen. It was never my call, I wanted to stay. If the club didn’t value me the way they should have, it wasn’t my decision. I would’ve loved to stay, but as I say, it wasn’t my call."
Speaking on how he signed for Real Madrid, the Brazilian said:
“I joined Madrid because I just wanted to play there. My dream was to play for Madrid one day and I fought hard so that it could happen. Roberto Carlos was with me in the national team and he was always telling me what Real Madrid meant for everyone. That left a very good impression and after some years I wanted to see it with my own eyes."
"The truth is it is a bigger club than he was telling me! There’s a big expectation every time and also a lot of pressure because we always have the world’s best players. I loved to know that I could make Real Madrid an even bigger club," he added.
Ronaldo made 49 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 47 times and providing 13 assists. He made 177 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 103 times and providing 34 assists.
