Whether it was blind luck as many cynics now suggest, or a visionary at the height of his powers, Frank Rijkaard put together one of the finest attacking forces of the last decade when he took charge of Barcelona in 2003. The likes of Deco, Ludovic Giuly, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o were brought in under Rijkaard and played a scintillating brand of football that captured the hearts of fans worldwide.
Ronaldinho, who officially signed for Milan earlier this week, was the talisman of that era, but each player's contribution was invaluable, which became evident the moment they started leaving, after the club's crowning achievement of the 2006 Champions League win.
Ludovic Giuly was first to go, departing for Roma in search of a new challenge and, presumably, guaranteed first team football. This was not forthcoming, as the Frenchman barely scratched the surface in the Eternal City and has today sealed a move back to his native France with Paris Saint-Germain. Though he was seen as the least talented of the attacking trio and was being phased out in favour of young prodigy Lionel Messi, his contribution was invaluable; made evident by Barça's imbalance and haplessness on the right hand side whenever Messi picked up one of his frequent injuries.
No suitable replacement was brought in for Giuly and Messi's prolonged absence in 2006-07 is thought to be one of many reasons the Blaugrana dropped a significant lead in the league to be pipped by Real Madrid on the final day. Then last season saw the Catalan giants look a shadow of their former selves, with Ronaldinho and Deco seemingly dejected and injuries plaguing Eto'o and Messi, as well as new signing Thierry Henry, whose off-field dramas also adversely affected his attitude and performances on the pitch.
They were again trophyless and this time Rijkaard, despite bringing them from fairly unfamiliar depths back to the top of world football, was not spared by the Barcelona boardroom. Pep Guardiola is now in as coach, half the board have resigned amid election wrangles and players have been coming and going at a frequent rate so far this summer. Though their transfer activity looks to be nearing completion, one further signing remains on the cards, as does another major departure.
Guardiola's primary objective appears to be asserting his own authority and ideas over the squad and not to rebuild Rijkaard's fallen dynasty. The players who had mentally checked out of Catalonia were first to be tossed overboard. The Blaugrana have made the daring move of declaring they are planning for the new season without the three star attacking players of their golden generation: Ronaldinho, Deco and Eto'o. The new side will be built around Messi - who was rising to prominence just as the team began to falter - and Barcelona youth products will remain at the club, with the likes of Gerard Pique even being bought back from Manchester United, who poached him as a youngster.
With Deco and now Ronaldinho having been set on their way, it looks to have been the best move for all concerned. Deco, playing for a move at Euro 2008, almost looked in his prime while Ronaldinho, being paraded around Milan this week, had the ear-to-ear smile that made him famous in a Barcelona shirt. Neither could wait to leave the club and it seems the feeling was very much mutual. Question marks now surround the future of Eto'o, who management one moment claim they are looking to replace and the next suggest he may start the season in Catalonia.
Should the Cameroon international be tarred with the same brush? Or, is it purely a matter of him being guilty by association, and that any member of the golden era - excluding youth products - must make way for new blood? His performances did not decline in the manner of Ronaldinho or Deco's, as he netted 20 times in 24 appearances in all competitions last season - a formidable record. That is not to say he was not without his poor performances, and indeed many of his goals came in clusters while he failed to perform in crunch games where he has previously proven such an asset.
His attitude has been called into question, with many suspecting he deliberately got himself booked in the game before el Clasico so that he would not have to be one of the Barcelona players to give Real Madrid the Guard of Honour in what turned out to be a 4-1 thrashing. He has always been a volatile and temperamental presence in the dressing room - but does that mean he needs to be replaced?
He is younger than both Ronaldinho and Deco and still in good shape, and far from being without flaws in his game, it remains contentious whether the Blaugrana could replace him with a superior acquisition. What can be said of Eto'o is that, just as his absence affected Ronaldinho's performances in the last two seasons, conversely, without the supply line from Gaucho and Deco, Eto'o has not quite been the same player. Would a move be in his best interests, or does he yet have a point to prove and goals to reach under Guardiola?
Following Ronaldinho's departure, a host of big names were sprawled across the front pages of Spanish dailies, dubbed as the final piece on Pep's new-look Barcelona puzzle - all strikers - presumably as a replacement for Eto'o. The former Real Mallorca man has been linked with the likes of Internazionale, Liverpool, Chelsea and, astoundingly, Uzbek side Kuruvchi. Meanwhile everybody from Fernando Torres and Carlos Tevez to Didier Drogba and Dimitar Berbatov have been linked with a switch to Camp Nou.
Who, if anyone, would best provide what Barça are lacking? Could it be the strength and power of Drogba, or an Eto'o-like replacement in Villa or Tevez? Perhaps a blend of the two, in Dimitar Berbatov or even, though far more unlikely, Zlatan Ibrahimovic? It is Barcelona's move, as Eto'o looks ever more poised for an exit, and only time will tell whether Pep can match the feats of Frank...
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