The Portugal international midfielder told El Mundo Deportivo: "The good news is that in the two years that Madrid was struggling Barca never said anything about them. Not the players nor the directors.

"What's happened is that they have grown a little since the last championship win and now are leaders. But Mijatovic should not talk about our dressing room because he does not know it. Moreover, he knows that often what comes out is not the reality of a changing room.

"He should have more respect for the players at Barca because he was a great player himself and locker rooms must be sacred. If he was sports director of Barca he could talk, as Txiki can do, but from the outside you can not say that. Anyway, nothing happens, these things just give us more strength."

Deco also rapped Mijatovic over claims he wouldn't sign Ronaldinho for Real.

"Sometimes it is easy to go with the flow, to repeat what other people say. That shows a great lack of courage. Saying that he wouldn't sign Ronaldinho is nonsense because Barca would not ever sell to Madrid."

On their looming clash with Real before the Christmas recess, Deco was adamant: "I am convinced we MUST win. We cannot go into the break nine points behind Real Madrid. Never."