Real Madrid icon Roberto Carlos snubs himself, Paolo Maldini and Ashley Cole as he labels another left-back as ‘different’ and better

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has named former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo as the best ever in his position. He believes that the Brazilian defender was better than Ashley Cole and Paolo Maldini.

Speaking on The Obi One podcast, Carlos named Marcelo as the best left-back in Real Madrid's history, before going on to label him as the best ever in the history of football. He said that the former Brazil star could deliver at both ends of the pitch and said (via Tribuna):

"Marcelo is the best left-back in Real Madrid’s history. Maldini, Ashley Cole, Marcelo or myself? Marcelo for me is number one. Maldini was top, Ashley Cole was top, I was okay. But Marcelo, different. Marcelo had everything."

"What he could do with the ball was absolutely incredible. He could attack, score, and dribble. I brought him to Madrid, and I watched him win Champions Leagues and the Club World Cup. He was amazing."

Marcelo was at Santiago Bernabeu from 2007, winning the UEFA Champions League five times and the league title six times before leaving the club in 2022.

Ashley Cole was close to joining Real Madrid before Marcelo

Chelsea legend Ashley Cole was on The Overlap this week, revealing that he was close to joining Real Madrid in 2005 while he was at Arsenal. The Englishman said that he was plotting his exit from the Gunners as he felt 'underappreciated and undervalued', and was in talks with Los Blancos over a pre-contract.

He also held discussions with Barcelona, but his marriage led him to change his mind and decide to stay in England, signing a new deal with Arsenal. He said:

“I felt a bit underappreciated and undervalued. So that’s where my head and heart was at. I was like, ‘You’ve taken my love away,’ and it didn’t need to be like that."

“From what I was told and heard, I was going to Real Madrid. I was having conversations with agents because, at that point, I could pre-sign for a team abroad. So, it was Madrid and kind of Barcelona. I don’t know how deep it was. Things changed, I got married, and didn’t actually want to leave the country in the end."

Ashley Cole went on to join Chelsea within 18 months, for a reported £5 million fee, with William Gallas moving in the opposite direction. He went on to play 337 matches for the Blues, winning the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and four FA Cups.