The day Ronaldinho decided to abdicate

August 25, 2006. Barcelona have just won La Liga and the Champions League and are considered by many the most entertaining team of all time. Later came Guardiola's Barcelona to clear all doubts.

Up against the Catalans is a brave Sevilla team. The Andalusian side have always made things difficult for Barca in the domestic competition, but they seem light years away from a squad including the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Xavi, Deco, Puyol... and a young Leo Messi, who was in the starting lineup.

Ronaldinho is not at his best, not at the unplayable level he was just a few months before. He has not managed to shine in the World Cup, where he was eclipsed by other veterans such as Zidane or Del Piero.

Sevilla take advantage of their opponent's weakness. Renato and Kanoute give their side a comfortable lead, and Barcelona are unable to react. Ronaldinho hides and doesn't appear in the entire fixture. He will never lift a trophy with Barcelona again and will have to wait for Milan and a return to his native Brazil to find success again.

In stoppage time, Maresca scores the third. Sevilla break into a a celebratory frenzy, while Ronaldinho abdicates to never return to what he was.

What could have happened between May and August 2006 for Ronaldinho's light to dim so suddenly? Many questions and only one certainty. On that day, in the European Super Cup, Barcelona began to understand that the Brazilian star's future was not at the Camp Nou.