Jordi Cruyff reveals how he and Mateu Alemany stopped Xavi from handing €200m Barcelona star an earlier debut

The corridors of FC Barcelona during the tumultuous years of 2003-2005 were often tense, navigated by a quartet of individuals hellbent on reversing the club's slide down the European standings after the infamous appointment of new owners the previous year. Just behind the scenes, Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff, his friend and former Barça star Mateu Alemany, and the supremely talented young coach Xavi Hernandez were rebuilding, not just the team on the pitch, but the very foundations of the football philosophy going forward. While legends like Ronaldinho were definitely the headline-grabbers, the process often demanded immense patience. A key, perhaps under-discussed, moment involved shielding one colossal wonderkid's burgeoning career from the inevitable pressures and hype surrounding him.

Appointed together in early 2003, Jordi Cruyff, Mateu Alemany, and Xavi shared a clear mission: restore pride and stability to a club that felt adrift. The incoming Abramovich era had ended the Cruyff era dramatically, installing Rijkaard midway through the 1998-99 season before his own abrupt departure in January 2000, leaving a massive vacuum. While Frank Rijkaard and Louis van Gaal did attempt to restore some grandeur, confidence waned. The mid-2000s were the halcyon days chasing titles, followed by a familiar dip below the standards Barça deserved – relegated, cup defeats, European meekness. Entering a new chapter, the three architects of this transformation needed to build a new foundation.

A central figure in that rebuilding process was undoubtedly a developing star bursting onto the international scene: Ronaldinho. His flair for the outrageous, his mesmerizing dribbles, and his sheer talent were undeniable. Already a household name globally following a trophy-laden spell in France, expectations surrounding him within Barça were naturally astronomical. A seven-figure transfer fee, later reportedly the then-world record €200 million agreed before his move was finalized that very summer, further fuelled the anticipation that he needed an immediate, hero's welcome debut under the bright lights of Camp Nou. This pressure, both from the player himself (allegedly) and from the global football behemoth he represented, was not something Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany could afford to simply ignore, though Xavi might have held slightly more idealistic views on the timeline.

Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany, with years between them and contrasting backgrounds – Jordi the instinctive athlete and player, Mateu the grounded, meticulously organised strategist with Dutch connections providing a familiar footballing language – were focused on organisational stability and long-term planning. Xavi, fresh from successful spells domestically and triumphantly as part of 'Project X' in Doha (Qatar), bringing him new perspectives but still wearing the Barça shirt, was focused on field-level wisdom and player development. Crucially, they were flatly against rushed Premier League debuts. The planned Xhaka debut in 2006 confirmed their policy, but the stronger resolve against the white elephant in the room was regarding Ronaldinho.

The audacious Brazilian, despite his global superstar status, was still a developing 23-year-old. A seven-figure transfer, laden with expectation and the significant pressure from his representation team, who secured that huge fee with significant intent, only increased the need to manage his integration carefully. Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany understood that with Ronaldo – Mario as he insisted, cleverly avoiding the kitsch – we were dealing not just with a player but with foundational clay. Howard Webb, the legendary match referee at the Bernabeu nearly four years later, had famously declared Ronaldinho the best on the pitch that day. Achieving that pinnacle requires immense maturity, both on and off the pitch. Rushing a debut, particularly from La Liga rivals like Real Madrid, could potentially unsettle that development.

Xavi, immersed in the moment-to-moment demands of training and wanting players to experience the feeling of representing Barça as soon as they were ready for it, likely saw the immediate tactical benefit, or perhaps simply sensed the star quality needed little more. Xavi is a master strategist on the pitch but perhaps less inclined, in moments of pure football euphoria, to worry about the delicate ecosystem a super star demands long before he earns the right to the full treatment. However, Mateu and Jordi were adamant: selection for the starting lineup, especially against Real on such a high-stakes stage, represented a unique honour different from being substituted.

The compromise, reflecting the complexity of the situation, wasn't a flat-out refusal but the widely reported seven-month wait required by the club executive board before officially registering him for the Premier League debut against Real Madrid. Disguised as a unique transfer condition sometimes framed as needing bilateral agreements with LFP regulations were perhaps being overly cautious, this delay fundamentally started down the right path, ensuring Ronaldo wasn't rushed. Months later, upon becoming registered as a player in the Premier League (a formal step needed for international eligibility), he was then frozen academically in pre-season if selected. The carefully calibrated logic was to assess, within the training ground environment free from external noise, whether he was truly fit for the starting eleven against archrivals and the intensity of Liga football.

Ronaldinho went through pre-season, honing his skill rather than coasting on star status, and bio-security protocols were maintained – a further indicator of the meticulous approach adopted by the three. While a starting spot wasn't assured, being allowed even a substitute's debut in the Premier League against Real Madrid was almost the maximum concession publicly possible under the initial board's direction. This allowed Xavi to fly him to South Africa for the World Cup that summer, letting teammate Leo Messi openly declare he "just wanted" Ronaldo to be on the team for Africa Cup, speaking volumes about the player's global status while keeping the integration process under management. It was a masterclass in controlled ambition, ensuring that the colossal talent wasn't merely unleashed but properly managed, ready for the expected crescendo of success to come.

The period wasn't just about delaying debuts, however. Simultaneously, the trio meticulously built squads, integrating players like Deco (eventually leading to nightclub antics, but introduced healthily), Eto'o, and various Spanish talents. They laid the groundwork that saw Barça reach the UEFA Cup Final and finally secure a Champions League semi-final spot the following season. It was about leveraging the hype around players like Ronaldinho for the club's own purposes, ensuring their development aligned with the long-term vision. It required tough conversations between players' representatives and the executive, strategic patience from Xavi, and decisive action from the sporting and executive leadership.

Ultimately, while 'Olé, Olé, Olé' might be what Ronaldo became, the story of delaying his potential debut underscored a fundamental principle. Great players rise to prominence under pressure, yes, but that pressure requires careful management and perspective. Fast-tracked exits for sensation-makers often confuse raw ability with mature readiness. Barça wasn't just concerned with who would be playing, but who would become world-class. The controlled integration of Ronaldinho, years of missed opportunities stripped away, was arguably crucial to setting the stage for the dynasty of 2008-2009. That famous Real Madrid game he captained, amid the furore of penalties, was the culmination; the patience previously extended in the build-up turned into the foundation for legend. It was a quiet moment of intervention that spoke volumes about the wisdom needed to nurture greatness at Camp Nou.