Diego Maradona: 'Gerard Pique better than Sergio Ramos'

Diego Maradona has claimed that Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is "a step above" Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos due to his superiority in possession.

Pique and Ramos, who are rivals when it comes to club football, have been partners at the heart of the Spain defence since Euro 2012.

Pique has been more successful than his international teammate in terms of trophies, and Maradona has claimed that the former Manchester United centre-back is a superior player to Ramos.

"For me, Sergio Ramos isn't a crack," Maradona, 55, told Marca. "Pique's a step above him. He dominates the ball more, brings it out from the back."

Earlier this week, it was claimed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez could be prepared to allow Ramos to leave the Bernabeu next summer after an inconsistent start to the season from the 30-year-old.