Football fans have been blessed to have witnessed a revolving door of talent in the last 25 years: midfield maestro Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian trickster Ronaldinho, the founder of the sweeper-keeper Manuel Neuer, and even the last defender to win a Ballon d’Or Fabio Cannavaro, just to name a few.
However, according to acting Bayern Munich Supervisory Board Member, Karl Heinz Rummenigge, none of these players “defined” football since the year 2000. That privilege belongs to two players who dominated
football for the better part of a decade and formed the most fiercely competitive rivalry in the history of football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The era was clearly defined by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who almost shared the Ballon d’Or between them,” declared the Bayern Munich legend before discussing which players could go on to define the next generation of footballers (via @iMiaSanMia). “And the current generation again boasts some interesting players, like Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, and there are a few in Paris as well. We have top players, especially strikers, at an extremely high level who are capable of extraordinary things.”
The snub on Bayern Munich legends of the past 25 years like Oliver Kahn, Thomas Müller, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and of course, the iconic duo of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry, hurts. But in all fairness, Rummenigge has a point. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were on a different level. Although he could have at least mentioned Jamal Musiala as a player who will define the next generation of footballers.
Do you agree with Karl Heinz Rummenigge? Or do some Bayern Munich players of the last 25 years deserve a mention?
Let us know in the comments!
