Not Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlo Ancelotti Calls This Real Madrid Legend ‘The Best Player He Has Seen In Training’

Anyone familiar with soccer understands Cristiano Ronaldo’s ethics during training. Fans know the star to be the highest goal scorer of all time, but everyone appreciates the effort he puts in the backend. But to the disappointment of his fans, the current Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti, named another star and even went on to call him the finest player he has seen during training.

Ahead of the Spanish Super Cup final versus archrivals FC Barcelona in Riyadh, Ancelotti points out the former France legend Zinedine Zidane to be his favorite. Ancelotti recently said, “Surpassing Zidane tomorrow? Well, first of all, Zidane is the best player I have seen in training. He was incredible. He helped me a lot during my first year here.” Yet, why not Ronaldo, who became an icon of the club? 

Carlo Ancelotti reveals Ronaldo’s training methods

Cristiano Ronaldo is known for his speed and agility on the field. The player put in the extra effort to maintain his diet and avoid junk food. The Portuguese captain never misses coming to training on time and does his exercises with high intensity. Even so, the star could not get into the mind of Ancelotti as number one.

However, Ancelotti supported Ronaldo during his spat with Manchester United and acknowledged his training prowess. In December 2022, the former AC Milan manager stated, “A player who scores at least one goal per game cannot be a problem. Cristiano is an athlete who trains well and is always attentive. Details. For me, it was easy to manage.” Ronaldo assisted the Italian’s kickoff at Santiago Bernabéu with a bang.

The Portuguese star had the opportunity to work with the Italian master from 2013 to 2015, when the star won two consecutive Ballon d’Ors for playing under him. However, his first season under the Real Madrid manager was remarkable, in which Ronaldo scored 17 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season, a record for any player. Nevertheless, it was the training ability of the 1998 World Cup winner that Carlo will never forget.

Ancelotti’s gratitude towards Zidane

The 64-year-old is still thankful to Zidane for his help during the initial days. Zizou joined as an assistant to Don Carlo at Los Blancos in 2013 and took over from him in 2015. Carlo claimed that Zidane knew the club well, and that helped him adjust to Madrid when he arrived.

READ MORE – Vinicius Jr. & Rodrygo React as Cristiano Ronaldo Emulates 13YO Son’s Free Kick to Teach Him a Lesson

The four-time Champions League-winning manager coached the star from 1999 to 2001 at Juventus. Ancelotti was also claimed to have been influenced by Zidane as a player to change the way he thinks about the team’s formation. The boss will surpass Zidane’s feat of managing the second-most number of games for Real Madrid. His players, on the other hand, will receive a bonus if they win the final tomorrow.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule