Beleaguered Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has been castigated by some fans for voicing his views on rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who will finally meet again in a decider in their Champions League group this week.
The under-pressure coach was inevitably asked for his view on the striking greats ahead of Juventus's visit to Barcelona on Tuesday, choosing to sit on the fence in a response that was diplomatic rather than crowd-pleasing.
Barca all-time leading scorer Messi and Ronaldo, his main rival for the Ballon d'Or during his astonishing career, will meet for the first time in almost three years in a tantalizing decider at the top of Group G.
Fans were deprived of a rare chance to see the legends on the same pitch in the reverse fixture on October 28, when a frustrated Ronaldo was forced to sit out Juventus's home defeat after he tested positive for Covid-19.
"For us, it's not a motivating factor," insisted Koeman, answering a question about the subplot between two of the finest strikers of all time.
"Cristiano is one of the best and he always battles and always scores. It's great that Messi and Cristiano are at the top level.
"They are two different players but they have amazing scoring records. Messi and Cristiano are the best players of the last 15 years. It's not fair to have to say who's better. I admire them both."
Former Netherlands coach Koeman might well want to avoid distractions as he attempts to right a poor run of form for his stuttering side, including a 2-1 defeat at Cadiz on Saturday that has left Barcelona three points above the Liga relegation zone.
Messi scored a last-gasp penalty as they won 2-0 in Turin, and Barcelona will win the group should they avoid defeat against their second-placed visitors at the Camp Nou.
Some fans on social media provided a predictable response to the remarks by their embattled manager. "Getting sacked in the morning," said one, while others interpreted his words as an admittance that Ronaldo is better in the endless debate about which player is better.
"This guy is talking about how Messi has given him great evenings," blasted another, referencing Messi's meager return of four goals and no assists in ten Liga outings this season. "He still doesn't even know how to use him on the pitch. Fraud."
Although Ronaldo is enjoying a much better domestic season so far, scoring eight goals and setting up one for a Juventus side who are six points off the top of Serie A, the Portugal captain trails the Argentina superstar in meetings between their teams.
Ronaldo is three behind Messi's total of 22 goals in those games, and is unlikely to catch up with Messi's total of 16 wins, which put him six ahead of the 35-year-old.
The pair last met Ronaldo played for Real Madrid in El Clasico in May 2018, both players scoring once in a 2-2 draw.
"He is still at the top due to his hard work every day," Koeman said of Ronaldo, confessing that he was "angry" about Barcelona's recent defeats. "We have to defend well and have the ball to take away his danger.
"[Messi] is the best in the world and I don't think he has made many mistakes defending. It is the work of the whole team to be more aggressive in defense and to be more effective."
The Champions League has been a happier hunting ground for Messi and his club this season, winning five games out five while netting 16 goals, three of which have been scored by the talisman.
"There are two big teams fighting to be top of the group," said Koeman. "Being at Barca, we can't accept some of the goals that we have conceded in certain games.
"We want to find a balance between performance, effectiveness and not making so many mistakes at the back. We will put out a strong side because we want to finish first in the group."
Also on rt.com Ron-dez-vous: Could car company Chevrolet hold the keys to Manchester United bankrolling a move to RE-SIGN Cristiano Ronaldo?