Ronaldinho once pranked his Barcelona team-mates ahead of a Clasico by telling them he was joining Real Madrid.
Harsh right? Well, not quite as Andres Iniesta has remembered.
The Barcelona star's new book 'The Artist: Being Iniesta' is set to be released and one anecdote about three-time World Player of the Year is quickly making waves online.
Over to Iniesta, then.
"A few days before the Clasico against Real Madrid, 'Dinho' called me at home at night," Iniesta writes.
"I answered and he told me: 'Andres, I know it's 3am, but I have to confess something. In June I will be leaving Barca. My brother has an agreement with Real Madrid. It's an incredible amount that I can't refuse. You're young, you can understand... But please do not tell anyone in the locker room or the club, do not betray me, I trust you more than anyone. Andres good night.'
"He didn't give me time to say anything. The next day, we were in training camp and I felt an awkward atmosphere around me. The whole team was silent and they were all greeting Ronaldinho like never [before].
"When the day of the Clasico came [November 19, 2005], in the locker rooms of Santiago Bernabeu 'Dinho' told us: 'Guys, today is a very important game, they are strong, but these days I discovered that we were like a family. I called each of you during the night and I told you that I was leaving in June, but none of you spoke. After that, I realised that we were ready to suffer in silence rather than betray each other. I'll stay here for a long time... Now let's go into the field and give a lesson to these players of Real Madrid!"
You may remember the Clasico in question as Ronaldinho scored twice and got a standing ovation from the Real Madrid fans.
Not such a harsh prank after all, then.
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