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 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.
But we will only be celebrating when the moment finally comes. The players are delighted with this result because it was a key game but they know how to deal with the euphoria that has been growing throughout the season.
This was a big result for the players and the club.
It will be a very interesting game against a strong side. They've played at a consistently high level for a long time now. I've already played against Milan as a player and as a coach, so it's just another game featuring two strong teams and that's it.
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,
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.
He is the youngest player in the team and we have to look after him. He is a vital player for us, but we have a strong enough squad to cover his absence.
I have to congratulate the players on getting this record. Now, we've got to stay on the same road.
I think we deserved to get through and I congratulate the players. We said before the game that nothing was decided and that we had to play a good team which is very dangerous. We did well and we didn't give away many chances.
I can't fault my players. We created a lot of chances but we missed out on a victory because of the woodwork and goalkeeper Bonano, who did very well.
Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace.
I have played a lot of times against Milan as a player and coach, so it's really just another game.