Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino reckons Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo but still has some way to go before emulating Diego Maradona. Messi scored twice to help them beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
"Maradona was my idol who I was lucky to play with and is maybe one step up, but Messi is better than Cristiano and can decide the game," said Pochettino, who played at Argentine club Newell's Old Boys with Maradona in the early 1990s.
"For me it's always Maradona. I love Messi but it will always be Maradona. They are very different as characters but Maradona for my generation was very special. When I was young, he was captain of Argentina and inspired them to the 1986 World Cup.
"Messi changed the game last night. If he is against you, the manager or the tactical situation are not important. It shows football is about the players."