Barcelona legend Jordi Cruyff has send a note of warning to Lionel Messi concerning how Real Madrid's form dwindled after Cristiano Ronaldo left the club.
The Portuguese talisman ended his nine-year romance with Los Blancos in the summer following a €100million to Juventus.
Madrid had initially struggled this season without Ronaldo and are eight points off the pace from their rivals Barcelona, although they have a game at hand.
Messi's contract at Camp Nou expires in 2021 and the club's former midfielder have urged them to learn from their mistakes.
"What happened to Madrid is a warning for Barça," the Chongqing Dangdai Lifan coach told Sport.
"Madrid players are still great, but in football you need that player who even losing 2-0 you think you can win. It happens with Messi. It's much more than football... it is belief."
Messi is currently enjoying a good season scoring 21 goals in just 20 games in all competitions for La Blaugrana.
The former Manchester United midfielder said Ronaldo - like Messi at Barça - was holding Madrid together.
"You analyse Madrid and you see that Cristiano was the man who holds the umbrella. When it rains, nobody gets wet. Now, there is no umbrella."
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