Former Real Madrid doctor says Cristiano Ronaldo is not the greatest athlete he worked with at the club

A former Real Madrid doctor has admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo was not the greatest athlete he has ever worked with.

Despite approaching 40 years of age, Ronaldo remains in peak physical condition and is showing no signs of slowing down for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

The five time Ballon d'Or winner's commitment to staying fit is well documented throughout his illustrious career, with the forward having turned up to Juventus training four hours early during the Covid-19 lockdown.

In fact, Ronaldo admitted he gets annoyed when he sees his son eating crisps and drinking Coca-Cola - providing a memorable reaction to the drink's placement during a Euro 2020 press conference.

But despite his admirable workout routines, Jesus Olmo, who worked closely with the player at Real Madrid, believes Gareth Bale is a more complete athlete.

"Possibly the best athlete I've seen is Gareth Bale," Olmo told Spanish outlet Ideal in 2020.

"He's a natural athlete capable of excelling at practically any sport. He has unusual genetics and athletic ability, and I would say technical ability as well.

"He's the one who impressed me most in all aspects, although there is then performance, which comes about from different circumstances."

Indeed, Bale's pace, raw strength and physical capabilities were no secret, with the former Tottenham and Real Madrid winger well renowned for terrorising defences and scoring all types of goals.

However, the Welsh wizard hung up his boots in January 2023 at the age of 33 in order to try his luck at a new career in golf.

Despite receiving an offer to join Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham, Bale has no plans to return to football.

Speaking ahead of Ronaldo's historic return to Manchester United in 2021, Bale was full of praise for his ex teammate, stating: "He's done everything there in football. His goalscoring ability is matched by no-one else. [I am] excited to [see] it, like everyone else."

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Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Real Madrid, Saudi Pro League, Al Nassr, Football

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno