Sport | Football
Rijkaard has no plans to quit Barca
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said he had no plans to resign after watching his side dumped from the Champions League by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
- Reuters
- Published: 20:41 April 30, 2008
Manchester, England: Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said he had no plans to resign after watching his side dumped from the Champions League by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
"Leaving has not entered my head. I have no intention of leaving," Rijkaard told reporters after the Catalans lost the semifinal, second leg 1-0. The first leg at the Nou Camp was goalless. "The club and the team needs help and support. It's a time when we need to pull together and stick together. It would be a different thing if the players were saying it's time for me to go but that's not the case."
Failure
The team's exit from Europe's premier club competition means it will be a second straight season that Barcelona fail to win any silverware. They have won only once in nine league games but Rijkaard remained defiant.
"Barcelona is a massive club with plenty of people capable of making decisions at the end of the season if decisions need to be taken. It will be time to draw conclusions at the end of the season. It would be overplaying it to say the season has been a failure."
Sport Editor's choice
-
Winning Desert Classic close to McIlroy's heart
Joint-leader draws inspiration from girlfriend's personal pursuit of perfection
-
Top teams hold on to their positions
Of the strugglers, Emirates continue their climb up the table after some superb performances while Sharjah drop
-
Staking a claim
Mendip bounces back to his best form to win middle leg of Al Maktoum Challenge
