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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has declared that he prefers Lionel Messi of Barcelona to Cristiano Ronaldo, who is presently at Real Madrid.

The Italian proclaimed that, though both players are great in their own right, the young Argentine just has the edge.

"They are both fantastic players," Zola told The Daily Mail.

"But I like Messi.

"Ronaldo is a fantastic goalscorer but I don’t think he is as good as Messi when it comes to creating chances for others."

Meanwhile, assistant manager of the Irons, Steve Clarke, was unable to resist the temptation to light-heartedly poke fun at his boss.

"He’s only saying that because he’s the same size," quipped the Scotsman.