Former Fiorentina coach Claudio Ranieri has said Manchester City striker Erling Haaland should not be compared with legendary Argentine forward Gabriel Batistuta.
Softfootball understands that Ranieri made the comment while discussing some of the best centre-forwards in football, including Batistuta and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Speaking with Football Italia, Ranieri praised Vlahovic and described him as a very strong striker. He said people are sometimes too quick to criticise forwards when they go a few games without scoring.
According to Ranieri, every striker goes through difficult periods when the ball refuses to go into the net, but top players usually recover and return to scoring regularly.
The experienced coach, however, warned against comparing players from different generations. He said Batistuta was a unique number nine and remains one of the greatest strikers he has ever seen.
Ranieri also stated that even Haaland, despite his incredible goalscoring record under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, should not be placed in the same conversation as Batistuta.
The former Leicester City manager believes Batistuta’s style, presence, and finishing ability made him a special kind of striker who stood apart from others.
For Ranieri, Vlahovic remains a player with huge quality, while Haaland is clearly one of the most dangerous forwards in modern football. However, he insists Batistuta’s legacy is too unique to be easily compared with players from another era.
