‘You're not Ronaldinho yet’ — coffee duty kept Messi grounded

Lionel Messi may be widely regarded as the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of boots, but even the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had to pay his dues as a youngster. Former Barcelona teammate Andrea Orlandi revealed the unique dynamic between the Argentine prodigy and the legendary Ronaldinho during their time together in Catalunya.

Speaking on the HProject podcast, Orlandi said Ronaldinho used a specific method to ensure the teenage Messi didn't get ahead of himself: "Ronaldinho asked Messi to make him coffee," Orlandi revealed. "He would say: 'Well, how many World Cups have you played, rookie?' just as a joke.

And he would prepare the coffee for him! But it was a way of having him close, of giving him affection. It was like keeping him calm, as if to say 'you're not Ronaldinho yet'." Orlandi added that rather than dressing-room hazing, the coffee duty sprang from Ronaldinho's respect for Messi's burgeoning ability.

lionel messi, ronaldinho, andrea orlandi, barcelona, ballon d'or, hproject podcast, coffee duty, rookie, catalunya, world cups