You should read The Barcelona Way by Damian Hughes (less a football book, more an organisational psychology one) - here is a quote that shows there is previous form on this line of thought :
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"Pedro was moved to the first team alongside Sergio Busquets, another footballer who had shown intelligence, focus and a fundamental understanding of his role in the youth ranks. For Guardiola, it also helped that he didn’t have a ridiculous haircut or tattoos. ‘They are like a throwback,’ observes Javier Mascherano, the Argentine defender or midfielder. ‘No tattoos, earrings, nothing like that. It can feel like they are from a different age. They love football, love what we do and that’s it. They would rather avoid all the stuff that comes with football and just play.’7" (from "The Barcelona Way: How to Create a High-Performance Culture" by Damian Hughes)
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