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
We didn't play well. I asked the players to up their performance levels at the break. We gave the ball away too easily and when you push up you give the opposition too many chances on the counter if you lose the ball.
We played well, the result was good and the players are on form, so you'd say it was a perfect match for us,
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).
I know Henrik Larsson personally and I have met him more than once because he played in Holland. He's a great professional and I think he is still in top shape.
The game was more open before the sending off. We just didn't have enough patience or perhaps we have to improve our lack of luck in front of goal.
We showed great pride to avoid defeat although I can't congratulate my players for drawing, ... It was only when we were losing 2-0 that some players lost their fear of wasting a pass.
We controlled the came but we played too deep.
Es muy importante porque indica que queremos trabajar juntos en el proyecto, seguir dando una buena imagen del club.
Samuel showed he can rise above the circumstances, contributing to the team's victory.
Samuel is a human being and he felt bad on the field. I was pleased with the reaction of his teammates. They all went to support him and encourage him to stay. The referee also did really well.
We have fallen into the trap of playing too slowly this season,
Ronnie and Samuel were very intelligent. One spotted the space and the other reacted very well to the pass. Between them they invented a goal.
We are still making plenty of openings, and it is a case of continuing to work hard, maintaining the same spirit and just going for it. We have to accept this is happening at the moment, but the team is playing well.
There's no point in conducting a witch-hunt. We just have to work on making sure this never happens again.