During his glittering career, Zinedine Zidane elevated football.
Not only can the legendary Frenchman boast World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga and Serie A winners medals amongst many others, but he won them in style.
Rarely has a player married aesthetic beauty with end product so perfectly. The Real Madrid manager is quite rightly regarded as an eternal giant of the game. But not everyone is a fan.
Appearing as a pundit on BT Sport during their Champions League coverage of Roma vs Real Madrid, Rio Ferdinand offered up a very bizarre opinion on the Bernabeu institution.
“When I think of Messi, Ronaldinho, the real Ronaldo – R9. They got me off my seat a lot more than Zidane,” explained Ferdinand. “He was beautiful to watch but he is not up there with my top players to watch, not up there wiith my top five or ten of all time greatest players.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeI1XJW9B5A
Understandably, many viewers found the former Man United defender’s comments completely uncalled for and plain wrong…
Rio Ferdinand doesn't rate Zidane. pic.twitter.com/AfRZex683W
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) February 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/rosslundie5/status/700041482699464704
https://twitter.com/wazza2312/status/700042569259028481
Rio Ferdinand rating Ronaldinho above Zidane as a player on @btsport earlier? pic.twitter.com/jCbcMmuzR6
— Adam (@Adamskibeats8) February 17, 2016
Rio Ferdinand has just said Zidane isn't in the top 10 of all time 😐 should be sacked on the spot for that ridiculous comment!
— Alex Mackay (@alexmac55) February 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/Needs9/status/700037945638658048
Rio Ferdinand's comments on Zidane. 😂 Once a bellend, always a bellend Rio.
— Hutchie (@ScotsHutchie) February 17, 2016
Rio you have embarrassed yourself with those Zidane comments #whataclown
— Jaime Hopkins (@Jaimehop32) February 17, 2016