XAVI: RONALDO TRUMPED BY 'BEST PLAYER IN HISTORY' MESSI

The Real Madrid star would likely get much more
credit if his Barcelona rival were not around,
according to the Spaniard

Barcelona great Xavi praised the "spectacular"
Cristiano Ronaldo but said Lionel Messi remains "the
best player in history."
Ronaldo and Barca maestro Messi are regularly
compared and always in the discussion over the
greatest players of all-time.
Xavi, a former team-mate of Messi's at Camp Nou,
said Ronaldo deserved credit but feels the Portuguese
attacker is trumped by the Argentine.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is a born scorer, a spectacular
footballer," he told A Bola TV .
"The problem is that there is Messi, who for me is the
best player in history.
"That is the only problem that Cristiano Ronaldo has,
but he is a player who scores and continues to mark
an era."
Ronaldo's Madrid are in Champions League action on
Tuesday, hosting rivals Atletico in the first leg of
their semi-final.
Meanwhile, the battle between Barca and Madrid for
La Liga glory is set to go down to the wire, with the
Catalans leading on goal differential having played
one game more.