Former Super Eagles captain Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has responded after Mikel Arteta compared him to former Barcelona star Ronaldinho.
Arteta, who played alongside both players at Paris Saint-Germain, sparked debate when he said he could not pick the more skilful midfielder between the two legends.
Okocha Responds to Arteta’s Ronaldinho Comments
While acknowledging that he and Ronaldinho share similar flair and style, Okocha confidently stated that Ronaldinho is not better than him. Despite Arteta’s praise for both, the Nigerian icon insisted that he remains unmatched, though he admitted they are “cut from the same cloth.”
Speaking in an interview with Clutch 9, Okocha said he would always back himself because he is known as the flair player.
“Well, I mean, I can’t say anybody is better than me since I have accepted the title of Flair, Chief Flair Officer, Okocha said when he was asked about Arteta’s comments.
Okocha praises Ronaldinho’s talents
However, he did praise Ronaldinho’s qualities as a footballer, saying it was obvious he was going to be great when he first arrived at PSG.
You know Ronaldinho is what I say a genius when it comes to football. I think straightaway, we saw his talent. It was clear for everybody to see,” Okocha added.
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“But unlike Arteta, he was already 20 when he signed for PSG, and that was his first club in Europe, so he brought something different.
Okocha also revealed that he had no issues with Ronaldinho when he joined PSG, even though the Brazilian was signed to potentially replace him after leaving the club.
“In a way we clicked because our foundation was the same, because we learnt how to play on the street because we loved the game and we played with a smile on our faces,” Okocha added.