Alexander Hleb, who joined Barca in 2008, later told V OKA TV, as per Goal: “Ronaldinho and Deco came to training drunk. “That's why Ronaldinho and Deco were sold in 2008. Because they were afraid that they would bring down Lionel Messi."

What caused Ronaldinho downfall?

His departure from Barcelona was the turning point for Ronaldinho, who never sought money ahead of entertainment. He organised parties that lasted for days, but deep inside he knew that something was going wrong. Ronaldinho couldn't rediscover his form neither in Italy nor back in his home country.

When did Ronaldinho leave Barca?

After leaving Barcelona in 2015 where he has been playing since 1998, the Spaniard joined Qatari club Al Sadd where he spent the final four seasons of his professional career. Upon retirement in 2019, he took over as the head coach of Al Sadd.