"What he was doing deserves incredible respect" - Julio Baptista claims one ex-Real Madrid star had more 'quality' than Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Real Madrid attacker Julio Baptista has claimed that former Brazilian striker Ronaldo had more quality than his namesake, Cristiano Ronaldo. Baptista has claimed that Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima deserves much more respect than he gets.

Julio Baptista, who also played for Real Madrid like the Brazilian Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo, was asked to pick between the two. Baptista hailed Cristiano for his unmatched longevity but insisted that Brazilian Ronaldo does not get the credit he deserves.

Baptista claimed that he had never seen a player do what Ronaldo Nazario could before his injury. In an interview conducted by footitalia.com, Baptista was asked, as quoted by GOAL:

"Is Cristiano Ronaldo or Brazilian Ronaldo the better striker?"

Baptista replied:

"Both players have been special at different times of their careers. Of course, in terms of longevity, you can’t argue with Cristiano, but in terms of quality, and from what I saw from the Brazilian Ronaldo before his injury - I never saw a player who did what Ronaldo did in the past. What he was doing deserves incredible respect, it was really insane. I must give it to my countryman."

Ronaldo Nazario and Cristiano Ronaldo both enjoyed glittering careers, winning plenty of trophies and personal accolades. Ronaldo Nazario won two World Cups and also two Ballons d'Or. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, won five Ballons d'Or, five Champions Leagues and one European Championship.

Journalist details why Cristiano Ronaldo was never loved like current Real Madrid star at club

Journalist Andy Brassel has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo was not adored at Real Madrid as much as Jude Bellingham. Bellingham has become a fan favourite at the Santiago Bernabeu since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name in the history books of Los Blancos during his nine-year stint at the club. The Portuguese superstar became the club's record goalscorer with 450 goals in 438 appearances.

However, Andy Brassel has claimed that Ronaldo was not loved unconditionally by Real Madrid fans despite his heroics. He told talkSPORT (via GOAL):

"It's a little clue to why he's so loved in Madrid in an unconditional way that Cristiano Ronaldo never was. Cristiano Ronaldo was admired and respected, but never loved like Jude Bellingham. Now, you might sit there and think: 'Okay, well Cristiano Ronaldo scored more than a goal a game for nine years, how can that be the case?'"

"But I think it's the indefinables with Bellingham. And you saw it at Dortmund as well, the way he connected with the crowd. It's not just the way he plays, but the fact he makes the fans in the stadium feel part of it. He plays the game like any of us would if we had the ability. I think that's the important thing," he added.

Brassel continued:

"He's a mix between the best player in the world and us playing on a Sunday. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean that in an entirely positive way. And I think that's the thing, because the Madrid media would expect anyone to do that for Real Madrid. [Bellingham] doesn't need to be asked. He doesn't care that it's his England team-mate and I think Bukayo Saka would quite respect that."

Jude Bellingham has become a key player for Real Madrid following his big-money switch from Borussia Dortmund in 2023. He has made 89 appearances for the Spanish giants so far, scoring 36 times and producing 26 assists.

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