I was just normal compared to others: Carlos

Counted among the best left-backs in his heydays, Brazillian footballer Roberto Carlos today said compared to some of the iconic players he shared the field with, he was just "normal".
"I was lucky to play with the best players in the world and and work with the best coaches in the world as well. Obviously Zidane was different," he said about his Real Madrid teammate.
The 2002 World Cup winner said players of the calibre of Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo would be hard to replace.
"There will only be one player like Zidane, Maradona, Pele, Ronaldo. There won't exist another like them. There will only be one... Each of them have their playing styles. I thought I was just normal," Carlos said.

Carlos was also part of the Brazilian World Cup team's heartbreaking final and quarters losses to France in 1998 and 2006 respectively.
"The only thing I remember is 2002. We never talk about the defeats. I remember my picture with the Trophy, holding it like a baby," he said in lighter vein.

"I never talk about bad things. The life of human being is marked by wins and losses. Those who are used to play top football, we learn through defeats."
Carlos said the loss in 1998 was a turning point as they went on to win the Copa America in 1999 ahead of the World Cup

He blamed fatigue for their disastrous quarterfinal exit in 2006.
"In 2006, we didn't have a strong team. We had a tired team. We played too many games in a row for those players. The likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Rivaldo were very tired."
"The pre-season before the World Cup was not good. Whenever you don't work well you lose. But I repeat 2002 was awesome."
Asked about Pele's recent remark that Brazilians have individual stars but do no play as a team, he said, "He's the king of football. It's very hard to comment on anything that the king says. The king is never wrong.