By the end of season 2001/02, the relationship between then Inter coach Hector Cuper and star striker Ronaldo had broken down.
At the time, media reports were rife that the animosity between the two ran so deep that they could no longer work together.
Inter owner Massimo Moratti found himself in a quandary because Cuper and Ronaldo were both considered key to the club's quest for success.
Cuper had a good reputation to defend. Before joining Inter, he had reached three successive UEFA finals that included back-to-back Champions League upsets to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
In Cuper's first season in the Serie A, only a last-day defeat to Lazio prevented Inter from ending a 13-year wait for the scudetto.
After a lengthy lay-off, Ronaldo was again expected to spearhead Inter's title challenge in 2002/03 but the Brazilian refused to join the team for pre-season because his 'enemy' Cuper was still around.
Moratti eventually decided to part with Ronaldo who joined Real Madrid.
Fast forward eight years and the Inter supremo could well find himself in a similar position, this time the protagonists are the volatile Mario Balotelli and shrewd coach Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho and Balotelli have fallen out several times this season.
In January last year, Balotelli, 19, was on the verge of leaving San Siro but Moratti convinced him to stay.
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, is said to be a big admirer of Balotelli and other top clubs, including Manchester City, are likely to go knocking on Inter's door should the U-21 forward become available.
Unlike Cuper, Mourinho will not be short of offers if he was to quit Inter either.
The latest signs of friction between Mourinho and Balotelli appeared last week at the end of the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Fiorentina which Inter won 1-0. Mourinho reprimanded the player for not adhering to his defensive responsibilities and Balotelli looked visibly upset as he left the pitch after being substituted.
Born to Ghana immigrants, Balotelli was adopted by an Italian family and is considered as one of Italy's best football prospects. But his neat control and scoring instincts cannot mask his rebel character.
On top of that, Balotelli is often targeted for racial abuse and to add insult to injury such chants have also been heard in games not involving Inter, particularly in Turin.
Back in the 1990s, legendary coach Arrigo Sacchi had also fallen out with Dutch star striker Marco van Basten at Milan. When the club made a decision, Sacchi had to pack his bags and leave.
Moratti's decision in 2002 was different as he expressed confidence in Cuper at the expense of Ronaldo. The Inter president later admitted that he had probably made the wrong choice.
Now, Moratti's task is to try and improve the Mourinho-Balotelli relationship because the fans, and the media, would turn against him if one of them had to go as a result of this battle of egos.
Mourinho is surely not helping Balotelli mature and improve his attitude by his constant criticism of the player.
However, Balotelli also has to realise that even though he has a huge potential, it is indeed a privilege for him to be part of a star-studded team with a top-notch coach at the helm.
Statistics
1 win for Juventus - vs Parma 2-1 on the 18th day - in their last eight outings as the Bianconeri came from a goal down on Saturday to salvage a draw at relegation-threatened Livorno. This was Livorno's fourth successive game without a win (two draws and two defeats).
2 players - Felipe Melo (Juventus) and Christian Maggio (Napoli) - were red-carded last weekend. Four teams, Inter, Napoli, Palermo and Sampdoria, are still unbeaten at home and Udinese are still in search of their first away success. Inter possess the most prolific attack (48 goals) and the best defensive record in the division (19 goals against).
3rd straight win for Sampdoria (vs Udinese 3-2, Atalanta 2-0 and Siena 2-1). Tuscany outfit Siena have collected only one point out of the last-available 21 (a 1-1 home draw vs Cagliari). Catania added to beleaguered Lazio's woes as they became the fifth side to conquer the Olympic Stadium this season. Lazio, winless in their last five outings, have now slipped to third from bottom.
5 wins and two draws in their last seven matches saw Inter retaining a healthy lead at the top. On Sunday, Jose Mourinho's side were in a class of their own as they annihilated Cagliari 3-0. Tonight, the Nerazzurri have a great opportunity to increase their lead on nearest pursuers Roma to 11 points if they win their game in hand against Parma at the Tardini Stadium.
19 goals were scored on the 23rd day to push the tally so far to 576. Udinese's Antonio Di Natale missed a seventh-minute penalty before hitting a hat-trick to interrupt Napoli's 15-match unbeaten run. The Italy forward tops the scorers' list with 16 goals, two ahead of Inter's Diego Milito.