Ex-Real Madrid doctor names star who was a better athlete than Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had an incredible rivalry, most probably the best in the history of the game, when the two were at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. While it was widely recognised that the Argentine was the more talented of the two, the department that the Portuguese superstar won out in was his incredible athletcism.

Most fans consider Ronaldo to be the best athlete in the history of football. And while we have seen his abilities decline in recent years, there is no doubt that the things that he can still do at 37 years of age are nothing short of extraordinary.

But former Real Madrid doctor, Jesus Olmo, did not name Ronaldo as the best natural athlete that he had come across during his career. Instead, he named Gareth Bale.

As reported by the Mirror, he told Ideal in 2020:

"“Perhaps the best athlete I’ve ever seen is Bale. Gareth Bale is a natural athlete who can excel in practically any sport.“He has incredible athletic skills, and I would also say technical skills. He is the one who impressed me most in all aspects.”"

Former Real Madrid doctor picks Bale over Ronaldo in terms of natural athletic ability

When Bale arrived at Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur, he was considered as the heir to Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu. And it must be said that he delivered early on as well.

While the end to his career at Real Madrid was terrible, Bale did deliver what he was brought in to do – La Decima, scoring the goal that put Los Blancos ahead in the final against Atletico Madrid.

Bale had several other incredible moments in a Real Madrid shirt as well. When the dust settles, and some years have passed, he will be remembered as a bona fide legend in the history of the club.

One thing that Bale failed to do is stay away from injuries. The latter portion of his career would be marked by one issue after another, as he would spend most of it sitting on the bench. That is an area that Ronaldo has excelled at and one of the biggest reasons he has been at the top of the game for almost two decades.