Wednesday, April 2, 2008

"Cristiano Ronaldo is the best in the world," Bernd Schuster

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has hailed the qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo and hopes his club can sign him "in a few years".With the Portugal international having a long-term contract at Old Trafford and rated by many as the best player in the world at present, Schuster is under no illusions about his club's chances of landing the 23-year-old anytime soon.

"In these types of things it is best to be realistic. Cristiano Ronaldo right now is a 10 out of 10, the best in the world," said Schuster.

"But I don't see Manchester United as being in the business of selling."

That does not mean Ronaldo, who took his tally to 36 goals this season during Tuesday's Champions League triumph over Roma, will be off-limits in the future though, according to Schuster.

"In the short term I cannot see it as being possible, but I think in a few years that he could wear the Madrid shirt in the Bernabeu," Schuster said in Spanish newspaper AS.

"He is the star at Old Trafford and until he wins a Champions League and some more Premier League titles they are not going to allow him to escape.

"For me, Cristiano Ronaldo is already better than Kaka after the Brazilian's loss of form at Milan this season. Some day he will be with us."

Schuster also spoke highly of Chelsea striker Drogba and Sevilla's Luis Fabiano, who is currently the leading scorer in La Liga this season with 22 goals.

"For me they also seem very good," Schuster said. "Madrid, if they sign, have to aspire to get the best.

Meanwhile Schuster heaped glowing praise on the Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, opening the way for a possible summer move.

"This lad is very similar to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Marco Van Basten. He is a spitting image of them. It seems that they have made a clone in a laboratory," said Schuster of the Dutch international.

"He has qualities of Van Nistelrooy and Van Basten. He moves in a similar way, is tall, shoots with two feet, does well in the air and is a good goalscorer.

"As well as that, these guys have a good schooling, learn things easily and are good professionals. This gives some security when signing them," added Schuster, who already has four Dutch players in his squad in Van Nistelrooy, Royston Drenthe, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.

"Here he will not score 30 goals (a season) like there, but maybe he will have five less."

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