The Real Madrid icon believes the France and Portugal
stars deserve to win this year's prize more than current holder Lionel Messi.
Zinedine Zidane says he would like to see either
Cristiano Ronaldo or fellow countryman Franck Ribery pick up the Ballon d’Or
award this year.
Ribery was crowned Uefa Best Player last month after
inspiring Bayern Munich to the treble last season, pipping fellow nominees
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the prize.
And Zidane believes the 30-year-old deserves global
football's top individual honour for 2013 along with Real Madrid star Ronaldo,
instead of current holder and four-time winner Messi.
"I hope it will be one of those two, both really
deserve it,” stated the Madrid sporting director to TV programme Canal Football
Club.
"If there were two Ballon d’Or, I would give them
one each. As it is, there is only one, but I do not decide!"
Zidane went on to voice his support for striker Karim
Benzema, following the criticism levelled at the 25-year-old as a result of his
20-plus-hour goal drought for France.
"We know he has not scored for a long time for
France," Zidane continued.
"What I hope is to always see Benzema performing at
a good level because he is a talented player who can give a lot to France and
Real Madrid."
The World Cup-winner also talked about his relationship
with coach Carlo Ancelotti and insisted that his new role on the backroom team
at Santiago Bernabeu has not caused any rifts within the current coaching
set-up.
“I talked with the coach and he already had his backroom
team. It was made clear, his assistant will take care of preparations and
training sessions and I would focus more on the team and tactics,"
explained the 41-year-old.
"This is what interests me and I still have to learn
about that.
"I had him [Ancelotti] for two years at Juventus. He
has evolved professionally, but as a person, he is always the same, devoted and
open-minded."
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