Barcelona midfielder Xavi believes that Cristiano Ronaldo could become an even better player if he moved to Spain.
“Ronaldo has goals, dribbling, pace and a winning mentality but also he over-complicates things,” Xavi told the Daily Express.
“He feels so superior to everybody, and rightly so, that he tries things that are unnecessary.
“He could be a much better player if he was here, playing with us. I have a soft spot for him. I would love him to join us.
“I feel that at the moment he doesn’t get as much pressure, as many demands, as he would get here. In England, if you do a couple of things right, people talk about you being a legend.
“Here if you don’t control a ball properly or if you kick the ball into the stands, people hate you. So you have to become a better player.
“Along with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo is the best player in the world. In fact he is in front of Leo in terms of influence in a game. The kid has everything. We are talking about physical and technical football.”
Xavi also cited former Arsenal star Thierry Henry as an example of how world class players can struggle to adapt tolife in the Spanish top flight.
“Fernando Torres is a better player over in England, with all the space he finds in front of him; here defences place themselves in their own box,” he said,
“Thierry is like a horse that needs space to turn and he doesn’t find it here. He has played better in away games, but in the Camp Nou he struggles.
“It is true the pace of the game between Liverpool and Arsenal was amazing, but the ball was lost or robbed every 30 seconds – that is not beautiful football.
“Football is played with the ball, it is about moving it from side to side to find spaces, to find yourself in superiority on the wing, to have little moments of magic.
“We can all be physical but not everybody can be tactically adept. That needs training and faith in that style. This way of playing has got much more merit.”
