Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard; born 30 September 1962) is a Dutch football manager and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Netherlands national team, Sparta Rotterdam, Barcelona, Galatasaray and the Saudi Arabia national team. Regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in footballing history, and as one of the best players of his generation,...
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth30 September 1962
CityAmsterdam, Netherlands
This is bad news for the team especially for the midfield.
This game is our big opportunity to consolidate ourselves as one of the top clubs. We're a young team that still has a lot of hunger for victories, but it's time to show it at the international level.
The moment will come and up until now the board have been thinking of other things. We have barely finished the holidays, we have had an assembly and also 'Ronnie's' contract. Apart from this the contract is only a piece of paper and I will work the same for Barcelona with or without it,
Deco was brilliant against Mallorca. He played like he did last season. He made some great challenges, worked really hard and made some very intelligent passes.
This is a moment for us to be relaxed and content. Before the game we were concentrated only on the job ahead. There were obviously some nerves in our play but this is what you would expect in a game like this when you get to this stage of the competition.
This is a game which is more than three points. If we win our lead will be 10 points and if we lose it'll be down to six.
It is a shame that we couldn't win but, on the other hand, it doesn't change anything in respect to our chances of going through.
Larsson played because I have more than eleven players and all can take part,
Larsson especially motivated? He's always like that. It's not the first game he will start. He's a player with experience, a professional who is prepared to take advantage of every opportunity.
I saw some good things. Although we're not at our best, ... Little by little we're moving up to our peak.
I saw a lot of good things today, such as our defensive strength and the way Deco played, but we still are not 100 per cent, ... Little by little we are getting there, although it wasn't the most attractive game because we had to play against a solid defensive wall, but that's always going to be the way (in the Nou Camp).
It could have been a penalty. But the referee is the one who has to judge and he thought that Motta acted involuntarily.
I think they did a great job and have had a great season. They deserve to be in the final and will be a strong opponent.
He's almost impossible to leave out because he's enormously talented but we've had chances and scored goals in the last two games, which have shown that we can function without him.