Cristiano Ronaldo Obsessed with Lionel Messi Pre-Clasico, Says Hristo Stoichkov

Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov added a little extra intrigue to the upcoming Clasico between the Blaugrana and Real Madrid, claiming Cristiano Ronaldo is "obsessed" with Lionel Messi and Los Blancos should consider cashing in on their biggest star.

The former Bulgaria international spoke to Sportium about Sunday's match, which will have a massive impact on this year's La Liga race, and predictably, he backed his former club to come away with the win.

He then went on to explain the difference between Messi and Ronaldo, as reported by Marca:

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Nobody doubts the quality of either of them, but Messi is in a great vein of form and Cristiano seems to be on a bit of a downer. If I look at how he's playing and how his team is playing, then I'd clearly choose Messi. The Argentine is operating on the level that Pele and Cruyff were on… That's the big difference with Ronaldo just now. Cristiano is upset that he's compared to Messi, while Messi is compared to the other all-time greats.

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Goal's Peter McVitie added more quotes, as the 49-year-old started heating up and discussed the match against Levante, where Ronaldo seemed to have an odd reaction to team-mate Gareth Bale's opener:

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I don't know if they are short of money. If they are, it's a good moment to sell him.

You can never get angry because a teammate has scored and not celebrating is to commit suicide as a teammate, because then you are worth nothing and you are worth nothing to your team.

[...] Maybe the obsession with Messi is affecting him, but I'm not inside his head. Messi motivates his teammates and if Ronaldo doesn't score it affects his team. 

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The incident Stoichkov referenced happened when Real and Levante were still scoreless during the first half of Sunday's La Liga match. Ronaldo nearly scored with a spectacular overhead kick, and Bale managed to put the ball away in the rebound.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

The Portugal international was extremely disappointed his initial effort was saved off the line, and his reaction to Bale's goal was strange, to say the least. Former England international Gary Lineker was shocked:

Naturally, the incident is taking centre stage in anticipation of Sunday's meeting between Spain's two leading clubs. The Clasico is always vital in the race for the La Liga title, and this year is no different.

Real's recent drop in form has seen the Catalans seize the top spot in the standings, but their lead is just a single point. Momentum sits with the Blaugrana, but on Sunday, that may mean little.

With most of Spain's leading newspapers based either in Madrid or Catalonia, the week leading up to Sunday's Clasico has been filled with stories slamming the "rival" team and their form, as explained by ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan:

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The week of the Clasico usual brings an increase in "morbo"—referring to the animosity between the two camps—and there were indications of attempts to destabilise the opposite camp in the media.

Madrid-based El Confidencial kicked things off with a story claiming some members of the Barca dressing room were upset with Neymar after he showed frustration at being substituted early against Eibar. Unnamed teammates apparently did not like that the Brazilian, who had a four-day break in his home country last week, did not show more "empathy" with his fellow players.

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He reminded people of this same fact in light of the latest stories:

Stoichkov was a phenomenal player during his career and is still a respected figure both in Spain and Bulgaria, but no matter how you look at it, he's a Barcelona man. He's always going to back the Catalans when asked, and apparently, he's not afraid of some hyperbole once he gets up to speed.

The suggestion Los Blancos should sell Ronaldo, who remains the club's leader on the pitch and one of the more marketable off it, is as far-fetched as the idea the club may be short of money.

Sunday's Clasico hardly needed any more intrigue, but Stoichkov's comments add yet another wrinkle to a match that will already be must-see TV.  

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