Frank Rijkaard Quotations

We did everything we could to win on a tricky pitch. We created a lot of opportunities, we showed our talent, but between Bonano and the posts, we just couldn't find a goal.

We did our job very well and this win opens the door to the championship,

We did our job and took the points and we're happy with that. This is just as important a win as any other even if the game wasn't particularly attractive. We ensured they had few chances and scored three times ourselves. They were happy to sit back and let us come at them and that meant the game wasn't too attractive, but we had to be on our guard against their counter attacks and we did that well.

Milan is a very strong team which has been at the top for a long time.

(Milan) is a team with a lot of experience, a great system of play and a very strong defense. It will be very interesting to see how we react against an opponent of this nature.

I would also like to say that the referee behaved very well.

I work the same because the players, the club and the fans deserve it. My main concern is the team and I do not like to get involved in negotiating. I leave that to others.

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.

But there isn't a good or bad moment to celebrate the league title.

I can't fault my players. They worked as hard as always. We created a lot of chances but we missed out on a victory because of the woodwork and goalkeeper Bonano, who did really well,

Fue un buen partido. Lo hicimos todo para ganar este encuentro en un campo muy complicado, creando muchas ocasiones de gol, pero entre los postes y el portero Bonano, que estuvo muy bien, se nos escapó el triunfo en Mendizorroza

He transmits a lot of joy and pleasure playing the game, and he has individual skills that are of such a high level that everybody in the world adores him.

He has just played two very important games and he suffered a knock in the last one. He needs time to recover properly.

He isn't in the squad because I wanted to give him a rest.

He needs more time. It might be good for him to have a change of scenery and recover completely. He will return when he has recovered.

He's a great player, at any moment he can make a difference.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Real started with a great deal of spirit,

Mathematically after this latest game we've taken another step towards the league title which each time is getting that little bit closer.

It is clear we are going to the miss them, and I have no explanation for the number of muscle injuries we are collecting.

It is extra motivation. He is calm and ready for the match.

I would like to separate two things - one sporting and the other humanity. We want to demonstrate to the world that we think differently, we respect opponents and we can applaud them.

We earned ourselves three very important points. We played well and created plenty of opportunities and now we can focus on the Milan match. The only negative aspect was the injuries, but we hope they aren't too serious.

We have something to show people -- that Barcelona are a good team and can eliminate Chelsea.

We had to wait a long time to see if they would play the game. The good thing, though, is that we didn't have to use any energy.

We had to suffer. It was important that we weren't beaten in defense.

We need to up the pace if we want to play effective and attractive football and break down well organised defences.

We are not looking at dealing with the height to stop them from developing their play but rather the formula.

We are not going to change our style and will start the game as we do every game, looking for an early goal. We just have to continue creating chances and the goals will come.

We did the job we had to do and I'm very happy to be in the final.

We did the job we had to do.

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,

Today wasn't our day. We were below par. We have to react and rediscover the form we've shown up to now.

The defeat will wake us up and should act as a useful lesson that we can't relax.

We are starting at zero again, but with confidence. We are out to defend the honour.

When you are leading 3-1 it's normal to win, but not today. We deserved more, because at 3-2 we still had control of the game.

We will have bigger games than this and against better opposition and we have to be careful. We cannot afford the luxury of making things more complicated than necessary.

To do that against such a strong defense in such a special game. Spectacular.

This was another victory for hard work. You can't always win games just simply by being much better than your opponent.

This was a big result for the players and the club.

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.

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.

We have fallen into the trap of playing too slowly this season,

Es muy importante porque indica que queremos trabajar juntos en el proyecto, seguir dando una buena imagen del club.

There's no point in conducting a witch-hunt. We just have to work on making sure this never happens again.

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.

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.

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.

Arsenal deserve to be in the final and will be a very dangerous opponent.

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.

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.

Although we are not happy with the draw, it is quite a good result for us. We remain on the right course and if we keep working hard we will improve. At this stage of the season the best is still to come.

They are both good with their heads and this is not worrying me,

It's a shame. I think the team looked good. We played very well but that's not enough if you don't win,

It's a shame, but I think we left a good image. We played well but, of course, it doesn't matter how well you play if you do not win,

It was a shame we couldn't score, but the team worked hard and played quite well. In the next game we're sure to score. Normally, a draw away from home is a good result.

It was a shame. Samuel is a human being and he felt bad on the field but I was pleased with the attitude of his teammates who told him to continue. It's a shame that things like this happen.

It's a good first step on the way to qualification. But we can't rest on our laurels. Chelsea is too good a team for that.

It's true that we've lost two games recently, but we have to stay calm and get back on track.

It's the same with all games at this level. When you're 1-0 ahead there's no peace of mind. That's why we had to work and battle until the end.

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.

They asked a lot of us and we had to work hard. We had to be very careful.

I have played a lot of times against Milan as a player and coach, so it's really just another game.

I'm really pleased with the attitude of the boys tonight. They took the game really seriously, and didn't relax even towards the end.

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.

I have to congratulate the players on getting this record. Now, we've got to stay on the same road.

I don't know if it was the correct decision or not but what I can say is that it was good to be able to conserve ourselves. We had to a wait a long time before we knew what was happening though, and this wasn't very good.

I didn't think anything about it other than that it was disallowed.

Deco, it was a pleasure to have worked with you.

We did everything we could to win this game on a tricky pitch. We created a lot of opportunities but between the posts and Bonano, we failed to find the goal. We did well but we let a victory slip from our grasp. I still think we are carrying on where we left off last season and you saw a team that was working for 90 minutes. We showed off our talent but just couldn't get a goal.

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 Celtic got their equaliser, they played a sort of anti-football.

Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace.

Leo's goals are works of art.

It's impossible to be more of a footballer than Messi.

I cannot say at this moment whether it was the right decision or not. The only thing I can say is that it is good that we did not use any energy as the decision was a long time in coming. We waited quite a while for the decision to say if we played or not. There was a lot of suspense and that was not good.

I am very happy with the team because they have shown their talent.

I am very happy to be in the final.

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.