his Brazilian namesake, but hard work has elevated
him to his status as the world's best, according to
former Real Madrid director of football Arrigo
Sacchi.
Brazil forward Ronaldo led the line for Madrid
during Sacchi's brief time in the job in the
mid-2000s, racking up 104 goals in 177
appearances over the course of his five-year spell
at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But Sacchi believes current star Cristiano
Ronaldo's dedication has earned him a longevity
that was beyond his forerunner, hailing the four-
time Ballon d'Or winner as "an exemplary
professional".
"I once went to meet Carlo Ancelotti when he was
at Real, and do you know who was there working
out an hour and a half before training? Cristiano
Ronaldo," Sacchi told Corriere dello Sport.
"The other Ronaldo, the Brazilian, had more quality
but he didn't last as long because he was looking
for privileges, he didn't want to run much.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is an exemplary professional,
cognitive psychology teaches us that you're not
born with talent, it's something you have to work at
every day.
"That's how he is. He raises Real up, Real raise
him up."
Madrid take on Barcelona across two legs in the
Supercopa de Espana over the coming week, the
first leg taking place at Camp Nou on Sunday and
the return on Wednesday.
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