Diego Maradona Tells 'Son of a Bitch' Cristiano Ronaldo 'Stop Taking the Piss' After he claims to be the greatest footballer ever (Details, pics)

Diego Maradona has joked that Cristiano Ronaldo should "stop taking the piss" with his comments about being the best player in history.

In an interview with AS' Marco Ruiz, the Argentina legend said he would put a "little wager" on Gremio, Real Madrid's opponents in the final of the Club World Cup, "despite that son of a bitch Ronaldo."In response to Ronaldo's belief in himself as the best footballer of all time, a smiling Maradona said: "Tell him to stop taking the piss."

Cristaino Ronaldo's comments came after he pulled level with Lionel Messi on five ballon d'Or: The pair have shared football's most prestigious individual award since 2008, and Maradona is tired of seeing them do so: "As a trophy, it's very difficult to give just one Ballon d'Or to a player. Because giving one to Cristiano and to Messi, it's boring now."

Prior to 1995, when Maradona was in the twilight of his career, only European players could win the award. The Argentina World Cup winner believes he'd have cleaned house had he been eligible, though: "I would have more than Cristiano and Messi.

"Nevertheless, he believes the Real star could be included in the conversation for the best of all time: "From the little that I saw, Alfredo Di Stefano, [Johan] Cruyff and Messi. Cristiano could be up there too."

He added Ronaldo is a "marvellous" player and revealed the qualities he admires in the forward: "The definition. Another of the things that I recognise in Cristiano Ronaldo is that when the team needs him, he's there. He has that. And eh, listen, after 'El Flaco' Cruyff, there weren't many players who have had that quality."