Galactico chat

Ronaldo & Zidane: chat to Revista de La Liga

Revista de La Liga
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• Real Madrid

As two of Real Madrid's original Galacticos, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo will rightly be remembered as legends of the world game.

The pair played together at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2002 and 2006 before Zidane hung up his boots and Ronaldo moved to AC Milan - but they have remained friends and continue to organise a star-studded annual football match to raise money for anti-poverty charities.

After this year's match, the pair spoke exclusively to Revista de La Liga's Guillem Balague about their time together at Real Madrid.

Guillem Balague: Has the time that you have spent together given you enough time to convince Zidane to come back?

Ronaldo: No no, with the lifestyles we have...

Zinedine Zidane: Ronaldo shouldn't be trying to convince me to come back. He should be joining me soon and hanging up his boots!

R: The truth is that he has left football now and I have been playing since I was 15 years old and that's a long time. I understand his decision and I see him living well. I am sure that it is a difficult decision, but having taken the decision it is important to live well.

GB: So if the call came from the USA or another country you would just tell them that you're not interested?

ZZ: I have had offers to return to football, but I made what was a very important decision after 17 years in the game. I am 35, which is not old in terms of life, but it is in terms of football.

R: It gets harder!

ZZ: Yes, it takes more from you and a professional footballer has to be able to perform at a high level. I could have played for another year but at the moment I am happy with life away from the game.

GB: Ronaldo, your life in the game continues, but this season you have been unlucky with injuries. How are you feeling?

R: I am feeling good. I had some bad luck and we did not realise the severity of the injury which turned out to be very bad. I am okay again and am training very hard. I think I will be back on the pitch in the next few games.

GB: When you get together what is the first thing that you remember about your time together?

ZZ: We don't have time because we hardly see each other!

R: We spent some fantastic years together. Every day was great fun and we enjoyed ourselves. For me it was an honour, Zizou is one of the greatest players that I have ever trained and played with. The truth is we experienced some incredible moments.

ZZ: And not only playing together, but against each other! We played together but also against each other in games between France and Brazil. But it is better if he is with me.

R: Much better to play on the same side. He gave me too many problems with Brazil.

GB: Do you remember one particular moment in each other's careers that you will always remember?

ZZ: The World Cup final of 2002 is one game in particular that comes to mind and always makes me happy. I was watching the game at home and Ronnie had been injured for a while and was not 100% fit. I watched Ronnie score and Brazil win knowing that it's difficult to perform when you are not 100% fit.

He had received a lot of criticism with people saying that he would not make it. I was watching the game with my children and seeing it made me happy.

R: I have many memories of Zizou and not just the incredible goals that come to mind like the one in the Champions League final of 2002. That was a great goal. However my strongest memory is a move that I played a part in against Valladolid.

He started outside the area turning two defenders. I made a wall for him and played him through. He could have shot and probably scored but a defender came out and he turned him with a roulette dribble. The keeper came out, he rounded him, then fired the ball into the stand. It was the most beautiful goal that never was!

ZZ: I had a friend in the top stand and gave him the ball as a gift.

GB: Real Madrid are completely different to the team that you left behind. How do you see them?

ZZ: Good, the truth is that they are doing well with a young team.

R: Yes, they have certainly brought down the average age.

ZZ: I live in Madrid and I don't see every game but they seem to be doing very well and I am happy for them.