Jose Mourinho's detailed scouting report on Barcelona was leaked online and it included his plan to stop Lionel Messi

Jose Mourinho, Andre Villas-Boas and the rest of Chelsea's coaching staff spared no expense in their preparation for a game against Barcelona.

Ahead of the much-anticipated Champions League last-16 clash between Chelsea and Barcelona in 2006, Mourinho is said to have been presented with a detailed report on Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona side.

Each player was individually analysed to provide Mourinho with a detailed insight into how his team should deal with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, who was only 18 years old at the time.

So what did the report say? To kick things off, captain Carles Puyol was described as someone who was aggressive, very emotional and "gets crazy with the referee in fouls against him and goes mad in provocations."

It added: "Bad positional sense (comes to midfield with striker) and bad leadership of defence (wants to do offside when it's not possible). Because he uses his body strength to regain possession, we can provoke contacts in the final third or outside the box. Good heading ability and power."

Chelsea's leaked scout report for the Champions League clash with Barcelona

The Blues would go on to lose 3-2 on aggregate after a heated two-legged affair but the report remains a fascinating read, with the likes of Messi and Ronaldinho being analysed by staff.

Victor Valdes: "Good GK. Knows how to control depth and will come out to cover defenders (chips are possible). Likes to build short. Poor kick (Valencia goal)"

Oleguer Presas: "Makes mistakes with the ball making him the ideal target to pressure. Won't go in depth like Gio and will play and cross from position. Defensively poor, has no pace, and choses his timings of tackle poorly.

"When he tries to recover is too late: no speed (ideal to kill in diagonals)."

Rafa Marquez: "Better as central midfielder rather than central defender. In possession he's prone to commit mistakes as he wants to do beautiful 30 mts passes to free the full-backs or wingers but under pressure gives the ball away. Defending he is now more exposed, lacks pace and when using their offside trap he cannot recover depth behind as Puyol can.

"Very good in the air and very dangerous in set-plays. Fakes contacts like no other. 1 yellow-out!!!"

Rafael Marquez and Didier Drogba during a Champions League clash. Image credit: Getty

Giovanni van Bronckhorst: "Willing to go forward inside or outside Ronaldinho. Very deep positions allows him to finish some situations. Sometimes wants depth too early which can leave the space behind exposed which is ideal for our transition. Without the ball he defends too open and we can exploit with winger diagonal."

Sylvinho: "Similar to Gio in attacking terms. Dynamic+combines well with Ronaldinho. Doesn't know how to defend, neither to control inside space."

Edmilson: "From his position the only way he creates danger in possession is with quality long diagonal passes to the wingers diagonals (particularly when allowed space to receive the ball free). Otherwise his passing is simple.

"Under pressure he wants to hold and turn with the ball and can lose it or play back to defenders. Defensively covers Puyol when he presses into midfield, and covers Deco and Van Bommel when they press. Not fast-exploit."

Deco: "Likes to have responsibility to organize game and on the left side of the pitch will always show short to support. When ball is on the right side, will penetrate deep to receive. Responsible player-will take risks and will encourage team forward (assumes and drives ball to attack). Can be important defensively with his hi-pressure deffensive transitions. Will tend to run-out during the game.

"Falls very easily to gain free-kicks. Takes lateral kicks direct."

Deco featured heavily against Chelsea. Image credit: Getty

Andres Iniesta: "Always comes on from the bench. Very dynamic player. Great radius of action. Speed of movement and speed of execution. Tricky player."

Ronaldinho: "Technical quality to avoid defender on first touch. When opened receives the ball and the attacks full-back 1 vs 1 (inside to shoot or outside to cross).

"Much more dangerous when provocating spaces inside (between lines) from those positions forces a central defender out and then with a pen. Pass releases Messi, Eto'o or the penetrating midfielder. Very poor defensive transition and defensive work -- exploit. Constant cheater -- falls easily."

Messi: "Quality + speed, but very left footed. Exactly the same behaviours as Ronaldinho. Inside between lines or diagonals. Encourages team forward by ball driving. Amazing 1 vs 1. If option is to foul him, it's important to do it outside the box and as early as possible. [Has] recovered from an injury recently."

More than a decade later, the self-proclaimed 'Special One' denied he was the person who created the scout report. It is said they had been compiled by Mourinho's assistant at the time, Andre Villas-Boas.

"I am sorry to disappoint those I think I wrote the reports, but I did not," Mourinho told The Sun. "The reports are not mine. I did not write them. The last report I wrote I have it at home. I was in Barcelona and this was in the 1999/2000 season.

“I was assistant and I shared with other colleagues the responsibility of analysing and preparing documents about our opponents for the manager."

Image credit: Performance Analysis in Action/X

He added: “Since I arrived at Benfica and until now my analysis never became official reports, but key ideas that helped me to prepare the training work and the matches planning.

“Official reports were always done by analysts, assistants and computer technicians, but never by me."