Pep Guardiola had once sold two Barcelona stars after they showed up drunk during training, in an attempt to protect Lionel Messi.
Messi’s emergence onto the scene and his early performances for Barcelona not only became a catalyst for Barcelona’s success but also brought about a change in culture even outside the club. In fact, former Barcelona player Alexander Hleb once said that Ronaldinho and Deco were two problems for Barcelona.
“Ronaldinho and Deco came to training drunk. That’s why Ronaldinho and Deco were sold in 2008, they were afraid they would harm Lionel Messi,” Hleb said.
Both Deco and Ronaldinho had excelled with their performances for Barcelona, with the Portuguese making 161 appearances where he scored 20 goals and assisted 45 others. Ronaldinho, meanwhile, won the Ballon d’Or and scored 94 goals, also providing 71 assists during his iconic spell with the Blaugrana.
Hleb, on the other hand, explained that he never wanted to be part of Barcelona, where he made 36 appearances during his four years with the club.
He said his real desire was to join Bayern Munich.
“I didn’t initially want to go to Barcelona. I wanted to go to Bayern or stay at Arsenal, but my agents told me that Guardiola was the one who called,” Hleb said.
