Real Madrid and Chelsea legend Claude Makelele has named Brazil World Cup winner Mazinho as the toughest player he came up against in his storied career.
Speaking to UEFA.com, the former France international lifted the lid on the Brazilian legend, who made 35 appearances for the Selecao during the late 1980s and early 1990s, capping his own glittering career with the 1994 World Cup.
Makelele - who made 71 appearances
for France - named the former Valencia midfielder, whose sons Thiago
and Rafinha Alcantara play for Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively,
as the toughest player he faced:
"Mazinho was the toughest player I ever had to mark – he was a genius! I learned so much from him. I look at his children and I don't think they're as talented as their dad – he was amazing."
Makalele also
named former Brazil international Valdo, who played for Paris
Saint-Germain and Benfica, as another player who troubled him during his
career, mainly due to his skill on the ball.
"Another
who was incredibly difficult to play against was Valdo,'' Makalele
stated. ''You'd think he was going to take the ball left and he'd go
right, or you'd think he was going right and he'd go left! All
the time he'd make the opponents go where he wanted them to. It's
something I see now with Iniesta, who has similar characteristics – a
similar way of protecting the ball."
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