Paolo Maldini has revealed that Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Ronaldo were some of the toughest opponents he faced in his playing career but left Cristiano Ronaldo off his list.
The AC Milan icon spent 24 years with the Serie A club, going up against a host of big names throughout a career that saw him pick up seven league titles and five European cups.
However, the 46-year-old decided not to namecheck two-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, whom he faced in the Champions League when the Portuguese winger was with Manchester United.
"My toughest opponents would be Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, who was phenomenal in his two years at Inter, and Zinedine Zidane," Maldini said, according to Goal.com.
The defender made more than 900 appearances in all competitions for Milan, scoring a total of 33 goals during his long tenure with the Rossoneri.