And still, the question was the same: Where's Ronaldinho?
"When there are important games and prizes on the line, no one can be injured," Barcelona great Johann Cruyff told Barca Television. "Sometimes, they're mental things."
Ronaldinho, 28, has missed the last three league matches with a foot injury.
He was rested for Wednesday's Copa del Rey semifinal loss to Valencia with Sunday's match in mind. By Saturday, Barcelona's medical staff said the World Cup champion wasn't going to be available.
"The players need to look at themselves and decide if they want to be there or not," Cruyff said.
Coach Frank Rijkaard spent the majority of the post-match press conference talking about Ronaldinho and not Krkic's coming out party.
"When he says he's not well, then I don't include him in the squad," Rijkaard said. "He hasn't let me down. I'm with him. I can't be disappointed with him because he's given much to the organization and to the team."
It's not the first time the team has been questioned, especially after striker Thierry Henry recently admitted he was unhappy at Camp Nou.
With Lionel Messi away in Argentina recovering from another injury setback, the focus falls squarely on Ronaldinho. Especially when Barcelona do not play like the team that the two-time FIFA Player of the Year led to the 2006 European Cup and consecutive Spanish titles.
Ronaldinho has regularly been available since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003.
This season, however, the Brazilian came off the substitute's bench for the first time. He's also missed more than a dozen matches to knee tendinitis and the current right foot problem.
What a change to June, when the club signed Arsenal striker Henry to set up a "Fantastic Four" lineup that included Samuel Eto'o, Messi and Ronaldinho.
"We need to be more focused," goalscorer Eto'o said after Sunday's win, which was still a lackluster performance.
Barcelona plays 13th-placed Real Betis next weekend then Germany's Schalke on April 1 in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The team needs to stamp its authority on the field, Cruyff said. Krkic gave a glimpse of what it could look like if he keeps it up down the title stretch.
"Today is about Bojan. He's a phenomenon," Eto'o said.
marseye said
09:37 03/24 2008
he is down form and between him and the coach is no longer as before
marseye said
09:38 03/24 2008
it was a nice win yesterday for them, Bojan was great
linko said
09:43 03/24 2008
well first n formost di man injure...............mi nuh c y di press a pick it up pan demhead n a mek a big deal outa it..............EVRY BODY KNO FRANK ALREADY...........ONCE A PLAYER DEM PAN DI TREATMENT BOARD RIJKAARD NA USE DEM............DAT A JUS HIM............SUH SUM MAN FI LOWE DI WURL PLAYER OF DI YEAR N GUH CHUCK OFF...........all weh dem say RONNie is still di best player in the world
BARCA FI LIFE
Barcelona beat Valladolid 4-1 on Sunday, teenage striker Bojan Krkic leading with two goals and a hand in the others.
The win snapped a three-match winless streak and put Barcelona within four points of Spanish league leader Real Madrid.
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And still, the question was the same: Where's Ronaldinho?
"When there are important games and prizes on the line, no one can be injured," Barcelona great Johann Cruyff told Barca Television. "Sometimes, they're mental things."
Ronaldinho, 28, has missed the last three league matches with a foot injury.
He was rested for Wednesday's Copa del Rey semifinal loss to Valencia with Sunday's match in mind. By Saturday, Barcelona's medical staff said the World Cup champion wasn't going to be available.
"The players need to look at themselves and decide if they want to be there or not," Cruyff said.
Coach Frank Rijkaard spent the majority of the post-match press conference talking about Ronaldinho and not Krkic's coming out party.
"When he says he's not well, then I don't include him in the squad," Rijkaard said. "He hasn't let me down. I'm with him. I can't be disappointed with him because he's given much to the organization and to the team."
It's not the first time the team has been questioned, especially after striker Thierry Henry recently admitted he was unhappy at Camp Nou.
With Lionel Messi away in Argentina recovering from another injury setback, the focus falls squarely on Ronaldinho. Especially when Barcelona do not play like the team that the two-time FIFA Player of the Year led to the 2006 European Cup and consecutive Spanish titles.
Ronaldinho has regularly been available since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003.
This season, however, the Brazilian came off the substitute's bench for the first time. He's also missed more than a dozen matches to knee tendinitis and the current right foot problem.
What a change to June, when the club signed Arsenal striker Henry to set up a "Fantastic Four" lineup that included Samuel Eto'o, Messi and Ronaldinho.
"We need to be more focused," goalscorer Eto'o said after Sunday's win, which was still a lackluster performance.
Barcelona plays 13th-placed Real Betis next weekend then Germany's Schalke on April 1 in the Champions League quarterfinals.
The team needs to stamp its authority on the field, Cruyff said. Krkic gave a glimpse of what it could look like if he keeps it up down the title stretch.
"Today is about Bojan. He's a phenomenon," Eto'o said.