The Revista pundits hit out at Barca coach Frank Rijkaard for leaving Lionel Messi on the bench.
Revista pundits Guillem Balague and Graham Hunter hit out at Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard for leaving Lionel Messi on the substitutes bench at the weekend.
Barca's star player was left out for the away clash against Atletico Madrid and the Dutch coach was left to rue his decision as he watched his side crash to a 4-2 defeat, despite the introduction of Messi in the closing stages.
Ronaldinho was included and scored a stunning overhead kick as he continues his recovery from injury, but Balague insists Rijkaard was wrong to rotate his side as they enter a crucial stage of the season.
He told
Revista: "I think it was a mistake because it was a political decision. It wasn't a scientific decision or a footballing decision; he has started rotating players because he wants to keep everybody happy.
"He said the medical staff had advised him to leave him out but that was completely an excuse because he played in the last 20-25 minutes of the game.
"He will play at the weekend and it was just a mistake from Rijkaard. He has decided that each week one of the top four - the Fantasticos - has to be out of the squad or involved in rotation. There is two months left in the competition so why do that now when you need the best from your players?
"And despite what Ronaldinho did, Messi gives you more than he does."
Ludicrous
Spanish-based journalist Hunter was also critical of Rijkaard's tactics, insisting the decision to employ Ronaldinho as a striker instead of Samuel Eto'o was a mistake, despite the Brazilian's brilliant goal.
Hunter said: "Ronaldinho was played as a centre-forward and although he scored that magnificent goal from the centre of the penalty area, Ronaldinho is not - and has never been - a number nine striker.
"His agility and his pace are not yet at full tilt. He's been recuperating, there's no doubt about it, and he looks sharper and scored a brilliant goal - you saw it on Lionel Messi's face, he was astonished by what Ronaldinho was capable of.
"But throughout the game his movement, his ability to go past people and his ability to hold the ball up wasn't right and it was ludicrous not to have Samuel Eto'o as the centre-forward.
"I think it's been a debilitating moment for Ronaldinho's recuperation. Just one more small, bad choice by Frank Rijkaard."
Cup finals
The gap between Barca and league leaders Real Madrid is now five points and Balague concluded that Rijkaard must treat all his team's remaining games as cup finals - and he must stop leaving his best players out.
Balague added: "As Johann Cruyff said this week - and I agree with him because he knows quite a lot more about football than me - all the matches from now on need to be like finals.
"They cannot drop the level, the intensity, they have to work much harder when they don't have the ball and they need to move it much quicker than they did when they have it.
"Why leave Messi on the bench when you need him? There's not that many players that can do magic things and open up defences in the way that he does.
"Rotation? There is a team in England called Arsenal that are suffering because they aren't rotating, so there must be something right in it!"
