French football legend Zinedine Zidane says that Manuel Neuer would not be a bad choice for the Ballon d'Or award, but Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is more deserving.
The German made it to the final list of three contenders when he triumphed with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in the 2013-14 season and led his national team to victory in the World Cup in Brazil.
However, Zidane claims that Ronaldo's abilities simply cannot be ignored.
"I understand that many Germans think that Manuel Neuer should have won the Ballon d'Or," said the Frenchman. "The debate over whether Neuer was the best choice was not limited to Germany. People talked about it a lot in France and Spain as well."
"He deserves it because he is a fantastic player who has taken goalkeeping to another level with his ability to control the ball. However, at the same time, Ronaldo is a player from another planet!"
"It is truly unfair that Neuer had to compete against Ronaldo for the prize."
Zidane himself, now coaching Real Madrid's reserve team, won the Ballon d'Or award in 1998 when, like Neuer, he also triumphed in the World Cup.
