When Pep Guardiola took over in 2008, the Barca chiefs already saw Lionel Messi as the club's future key player. But to help him blossom, they had to axe two players: Ronaldinho and Deco.
Both were the Blaugrana stars at the time but their life away from the pitch was a problem. According to Goal, the Brazilians believed they were so talented they could 'bend the rules and still excel'.
Due to their excessive lifestyle, Ronaldinho gained weight and turned flabby, while Deco was picking up injuries and needed a long time to recover from them.
"Ronaldinho and Deco were completely out of control," Barca's former vice-president Marc Ingla told Goal. Worse than that, the Brazilian duo treated Messi like a member of the family, and the club brass were afraid they would lead Leo astray.
By that time Messi was hooked on the Argentine diet of red meat and carbs, which already was an issue. Suppose he got used to night life and Barca would have to part ways with three great footballers.
"To unleash all the power and the image of Messi, we had to push out Ronaldinho and Deco," Ingla added.
The decision proved right - Messi's exploits at Barca and the way the team progressed under Guardiola speak for themselves.
