Xavi said in an interview with Prakhar Gupta that Ronaldinho's decline after winning the Ballon d'Or in 2005 was down to mentality rather than parties. He also said he thought the same applied to Neymar after Barcelona.
Xavi on Ronaldinho
Xavi said: "Well, I think it was a mentality issue. Ronaldinho won absolutely everything: LaLiga and the Champions League with Barca, and the Ballon d'Or. And then, he probably thought, alright, I've done it all."
Comparison with Messi
Xavi said: "If you compare him, for example, with Leo Messi, Ronaldinho was like... I've already done my job. And Messi wanted more. He kept going and going. That's because of mentality, not because of the parties."
Xavi also mentioned Neymar
Xavi said: "It also happened to 'Ney'. He had a great period at Barcelona, where we won a Champions League and then he signed with PSG. In this case, I also think it was down to mentality."
Different from Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi
Xavi said: "When you don't understand that your mentality is declining, dropping right down, and you aren't the same player. The same thing didn't happen, for example, with Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi, who are like beasts."
