Barcelona president Joan Laporta and defender Gianluca Zambrotta have thrown their support behind the Catalan giants' under-fire playmaker Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho has come under scrutiny for some indifferent performances for Barca this season and his lifestyle off the pitch has also been put in the spotlight, with reports of late-night partying 48 hours before a recent match against Osasuna.
However, Barca full-back Zambrotta took the side of his team-mate, saying: 'I don't see it as bad to go out 48 hours before a game.
'We are all adults and everyone has their responsibilities. He can go out if he wants, but it depends how he goes out. If it is to drink and get drunk then it is not okay, but if it is just to have a small drink then there is nothing wrong with that.
'What is important is that on the pitch you always give 100%.'
Barca president Laporta refused to comment on Ronaldinho's private life but insisted the club need to rally around the former two-time FIFA World Player of the Year.
'The only therapy for him is to help him and ensure he does not feel apart,' Laporta said on radio station Cadena Ser. 'We need to be together with him. I am sure that he will return to give us plenty of success.
'I have not spoken with him (about his private life) because it is a question for the dressing room.
'The players know how far they can go in their private lives. What we have to do above all is create a professional atmosphere and ensure that they train well, because it is said that how you train is how you play.'
Ronaldinho, who media reports have been linking with a move to Chelsea, missed Saturday's 2-1 Primera Liga victory over Sevilla with a calf strain, and it could be that he will be absent for Barca's upcoming league games against Real Zaragoza and Levante.
Laporta believes next week's Champions League encounter against Stuttgart is the match which could see Ronaldinho back in action.
'He is suffering because he is injured. He is continuing with his recovery plan, and while he may not be ready for the games against Zaragoza and Levante, he has said to me that he will play against Stuttgart.'
