Madrid: Unlike his two rivals for the 2004 World Player of the Year award, Ronaldinho did not help his club win any silverware over the last 12 months. For Barcelona fans, however, the Brazilian playmaker has achieved something just as important.

Ronaldinho has restored the shattered morale of the Catalan club after four years of mismanagement, political in-fighting, hapless coaching and desperate underachievement.

Eighteen months after his arrival, the club are nine points clear at the top of the Primera Liga, in the last 16 of the Champions League and playing the most exciting club soccer in Europe.

It has been Ronaldinho?s vision, passing skills, and dazzling repertoire of party tricks that have been the catalyst for this change.

Almost as important as his performances are his smiling, laid-back attitude to life and infectious enthusiasm which have transformed the atmosphere in the Barcelona squad.

?Ronaldinho isn?t just capable of winning games on his own,? says club captain Carles Puyol. ?He?s also of vital importance to us off the pitch ? he keeps our spirits high.?

Such was the extent of Barcelona?s fall from grace before Ronaldinho?s arrival that David Beckham shunned the club?s advances after deciding to leave Manchester United, preferring arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Influenced in part by the positive experiences of compatriots Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Ronaldinho decided to head for the Nou Camp. His decision sparked a surge of confidence among Barcelona fans. Thirty thousand turned out for his presentation after his 25 million euro ($33 million) move from Paris St Germain.

In his league debut at the Nou Camp he lived up to his billing when he scored one of the goals of the season in a 1-1 draw against Sevilla.

Picking the ball up on the halfway line, he sauntered through the Sevilla defence, cut inside towards the area before letting rip with an unstoppable shot from 25 metres.

Mesmerising step-overs, spectacular free kicks, overhead kicks, defence-splitting passes became part and parcel of a typical Ronaldinho contribution to Barcelona?s season.

Although his teammates were slow to cotton on, Ronaldinho?s enthusiasm eventually rubbed off and he inspired his side to a 17-match unbeaten run that helped lift them to second place in the Primera Liga last season, their best in four years.

His presence at Barca helped convince players of the calibre of Deco, Henrik Larsson, Samuel Eto?o, Edmilson and Julian Belletti that the Nou Camp was the place to be.

After a slow start to this campaign because of a niggling ankle injury, Ronaldinho has been brilliant.

One of the highlights was his stunning last-gasp winner in a 2-1 Champions League victory over AC Milan last month.

Like so many Brazilian internationals Ronaldinho followed the well-trodden route from shanty-town to football pitch. (Reuters)