Michael Owen was immediately criticized for his comments on BT Sport after Inter Milan reached the Champions League final.
Inter beat rivals AC Milan 3-0 on aggregate, with Lautaro Martinez's second-leg goal alongside Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's first-leg goals.
They will now face Manchester City and winners Real Madrid in the final in Istanbul on June 10, but 2001 Ballon d'Or winner Owen angered his former British colleagues Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand when he claimed that no Inter player was a match for either team. teams into the semi-finals.
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owen said:
"I don't think I'm going to put any of their players in the Man City or Real Madrid squad - so they'll have to do something."
But immediately, Gerrard intervened and did none of that, making a request to the Nerazzurri goalkeeper Andre Onana.
He commented:
“What about guardians? It's very similar, isn't it? He can wear the number 10 on his back! He's like Ederson.
"All night he was in a hurry, under pressure, in difficult situations. He was just calm, in control. He could play long, he could play short. Advertisement
"I loved watching the goalkeeper tonight, he was fantastic."
Onana has kept an eighth clean sheet in the Champions League this season - more than any other goalkeeper to have played in the competition.
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And Ferdinand has commended Gerrard on the Cameroonian, saying he would be a good fit for both City and Real because of the skills he possesses.
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"I agree with what Steven said. A modern goalkeeper, he is top class. Hold the ball under pressure, don't panic. Bring the other team on top of him to create space around him. They will need a great performance from someone like him if they want to win."
"He's the best!"
"Inter will need a great performance from them to win!" @rioferdy5, Steven Gerrard and @themichaelowen discuss the importance of André Onana behind this Inter team! @mrjakehumphrey | #UCL pic.twitter.com/domwP38dLI
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 16, 2023
City and Real go head-to-head in a thrilling second leg at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. The draw was equalized after Kevin De Bruyne neutralized Vinicius Jr's thunderbolt with his own beautiful strike.
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