Jose Antonio Camacho talked about his first impression of Ronaldo when he was managing Sporting’s rivals Benfica.
Former Spain and Real Madrid manager Jose Antonio Camacho was lucky enough to watch Cristiano Ronaldo take his first steps as a player. The Spanish boss arrived at Benfica back in 2002, the same season that saw Ronaldo emerge as a young first-team footballer.
Naturally, Ronaldo caught Camacho’s attention the first time he watched the 17-year-old on the pitch. However, the Juventus star wasn’t the only one who impressed the manager.
“When I arrived at Benfica I had to play against Sporting Lisbon in the first week. Five minutes into the game I turned to Pepe Carcelen [assistant manager] and said: ‘Have you seen these kids?’ One was Cristiano Ronaldo and the other was Quaresma. One on each side of the wing.”
Moreover, the 65-year-old coach revealed which youngster he preferred back then, although he now sees things differently.
“The truth is both have become extraordinary footballers. I liked Quaresma a lot better in that match but obviously, Ronaldo has been the best in the world.”
Camacho also spoke about the two biggest Merengues legends.
When asked which player was Real Madrid’s biggest legend, Di Stefano or Cristiano, Camacho didn’t want to exclude one of the players. According to the Spanish manager, both of the former Madrid stars have merits of their own.
“It’s very hard [to choose]. They were different footballers at different times of the game, but ones that achieved the maximum they could. Why can’t they both be the best? Not just one, why can’t there be several? Football isn’t tennis where you have one on one, there are eleven players. So there are several players who are the world’s best.”
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