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Turkish club Galatasaray has today officially announced the appointment of former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (46) as their new manager.

Rijkaard had been away from coaching since he left Barcelona in the summer of 2008 and is expected to sign later today a two-year deal with Galatasaray.

After being dismissed by Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam in 2002, Rijkaard arrived in Barcelona in the summer of 2003. Rijkaard stayed five years at the club before leaving last year. With Barcelona, Frank Rijkaard won two Spanish leagues in 2005 and 2006, two Spanish super cups in 2005 and 2006 and one Champions League in 2006.

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Former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard gave an interview to FIFA's official website.





Barcelona are in the final of the UEFA Champions League. How do you fancy their chances against Manchester United in Rome?
This final is extraordinary, it features two of the world's best teams. It's going to be a very interesting game to watch. You have some of the world's best players playing against each other. Manchester United have been looking good lately. They have Cristiano Ronaldo, a good quality player who is able to win games for them. But there is Barcelona, they play beautiful football. They are good and are attack-minded. I think it's going to be about goals, and more goals. However, if Barcelona defend well, I think they can beat United. If they can keep their shape and not make mistakes, then I can't see how they can lose it. But this is football, you never know.

People are raving about Lionel Messi. Just how good is he?
He is an exceptional kid. I saw him a few years ago and I was amazed with what he could do with the ball. The way he handles and controls the ball is outstanding and very few people can do that. Messi is still very young and that is good news, because that means he can only get better as a footballer. Football should make people happy and that is what Messi does: he makes people happy, he makes people enjoy the game. I like him a lot.

It was during your early years at Barcelona that Ronaldinho flourished. Do you think he can return to his best?
Ronaldinho is another special player, probably amongst the most talented players I have worked with. At Barcelona, he was outstanding. His dazzling skills and his movement on and off the ball was remarkable. I hear some people say he will never be able to rediscover that form, but I don't think that's correct. He needs to refocus on his game, he needs to get his mind on his game and then I have no doubt that he can be at his best again. Like Messi, he brings so much happiness to football.

Can you single out the best player you have ever worked with?
That's a hard one, I have been fortunate because I have worked with some of the most remarkably talented individuals in the world. At Barcelona, I was exposed to talent. You had Ronaldinho, who was a marvel to watch. Deco is skilful and talented. Then there are players like Xavi, a good and hardworking man who gave his all. Iniesta is another. Then the name of Messi will come up in that list. I think it's unfair for me to single out one individual; there are other players I haven't mentioned, players I respect.

You had a great career both as a player and a manager. Who had the biggest influence in your football career?
There are lot of people, but maybe I can mention someone like Johan Cruyff. I remember watching him as a kid when he was playing for Ajax, I admired him a lot. Then he came in to coach me at Ajax, that was a great moment for me and I learned so much under him. He had so much knowledge and respect for the game.

There has been a lot of speculations about your future. Have you made up your mind about your next move?
My future? Well, there will always be speculation. The newspapers will always make their predictions. But as for me, I can't say exactly where I will end up. I can't talk about that now, maybe in the next few weeks. I can't say I want to go to that particular club, because at the moment that particular club might have a manager and I have respect for fellow coaches. But if someone comes up with an offer, then we can talk. I still want to coach, but at the right time.

Do you ever consider becoming a national team coach again?
(laughs) I was once in charge of the Dutch team - and then I was introduced to club football! At the moment, no, I think I enjoy coaching at club level. But in football you never say never, you never close the door.

read the complete interview here


Read more:
Rijkaard's last interview
Txiki: "Champions win couldn't save Rijkaard"
Chelsea or Milan for Rijkaard

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said at a press conference that Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink (52) was one of the candidates to become the new Barcelona head coach in the summer of 2003:

"I've always liked Guus Hiddink for his attitude and his way of being. I remember that, when he was the manager of Valencia, he ordered to withdraw a nazi flag with a swastika sign from the stands.

It's a coach of the Dutch school and a lover of total football. We've always liked him. When we were negotiating with Rijkaard, Hiddink was coaching the national team of South Corea (note: this is not correct, he was the manager of PSV Eindhoven in 2003) and he was one of our options if Rijkaard would have said no."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that Hiddink was actually the preferred option of the new board that came to power after the elections of 2003. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and then Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell would have met twice with Hiddink but the Dutchman asked a too high salary. And with Ajax asking a fee to let Ronald Koeman go, it was in the end Frank Rijkaard who was appointed as new Barcelona manager.

Hiddink, who had joined PSV in 2002, stayed with the Dutch club until the summer of 2006, combining the job during his last season with coaching the Australian national team. After the World Cup in Germany, Hiddink became the coach of the Russian national team.

Read more:
Transfer history: Ferguson (Manchester United)
Chelsea will try to sign Alves this summer
Transfer history: Cristian Karembeu (Sampdoria)

Asked about the rumours linking former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard with several clubs, his agent Perry Overeem is quoted by British sports site Sky Sports as saying that Rijkaard has decided not to take on a new job until at least next summer:

"The decision is clear. Frank will not return to management this season. Next season? It is possible. But the decision will depend on what is on offer at the end of May."

Over the last weeks, the Dutch manager has been linked to clubs like Newcastle, CSKA Moscow and Sunderland.

Read more:
Chelsea or Milan for Rijkaard
What's next for Rijkaard?
Txiki: "Champions win couldn't save Rijkaard"

Spanish news site El Confidencial claims that former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (46) has reached a verbal agreement with English Premier League club Chelsea.

Rijkaard would have agreed to take over next summer if current Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari cannot win a trophy with his team this year.

Catalan sports paper Sport meanwhile claims that Rijkaard could join Italian club AC Milan next season, together with former Barcelona player Johan Neeskens (57), who has been Rijkaard's first assistant at Barcelona from 2006 to 2008.

Neeskens recently signed a contract with the Dutch football association (read more here) but would have said he could only sign until the end of June because he already has a deal with a club for next season.

Read more:
Rijkaard candidate to replace Ancelotti at Milan
What's next for Rijkaard?
Rijkaard rejects Newcastle approach

In his first interview to a paper in two years, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain talked to Catalan sports paper Sport about the past months and the current situation of the club.


(you can read the earlier part of this interview here and here)



Players out, manager out... But you're still there although there are people who point at you.
I don't run away from my responsibilities. I'm in part responsible for the failure of the last seasons.

After everything that has happened, you didn't think about styepping down?
I never thought about it. What I did was analyzing the problem and making a proposal to get out of the crisis. And I received the support of the whole board.

President Joan Laporta has gone through very difficult moments: an institucional crisis, a confidence vote... If the preseident would have left, would you also have left?
I would have felt so desorientated that I sure wouldn't have the powers to continue.

How do you see Laporta now?
He's extremely motivated. For him, like for all of us, this is the start of a new era. New manager, new board members, new project. He wants to regain the time we've lost.

You're talking about the past two years?
Only if we look at the football level, because the club kept growing and kept getting better in the other aspects.

When did you get aware that things were going wrong?
After the 4-0 against Getafe in the Spanish cup.

So why didn't you act then?
We thought that the people who had led us to winning two leagues and one Champions league deserved another chance. We gave them our confidence but they failed.

Ronaldinho was the symbol of both the best and the worst of that team?
It was very hard to tell him that he wouldn't be able to stay at the club. If you think about everything he has given us... But we thought we couldn't get him back on track. We needed change at all levels and we had to do this.

You also had to inform Rijkaard that he would have to leave. This was the most difficult decision you 've taken as Barcelona sports director?
Yes, it was. I suffered a lot, it was an unpleasant moment, very hard. I would have wanted to tell him at the end, in June. But the 4-1 against Real Madrid forced us to accelerate the decisions.

Would Rijkaard have stayed if the team would have won the Spanish cup or the Champions league?
No. Both him and the players we had selected had to leave the club because their cycle had come to an end.

When was this decided?
In February or March. It hurt to let Frank go because he had done so much for Barcelona. Every club in the world was jealous of the wonderful coach we had. He gave us some excellent years, with great football, with trophies... The end was very hard.

It has been said that he, Deco and other players had a bad influnce...
I respect everything they gave us and I don't want to hit out at anyone. They were great, we won trophies, so you have to thank them and say goodbye in an elegant way.

Wasn't it a shame that this team only shined for two years?
Without any doubt. That squad was able to even surpass the Dream Team. I though they could win four consecutive leagues - the third was was actually one goal away - and several European cups. The collapse of that team happened too early.


This was the third part of this interview. The fourth and last part will follow in the coming days with Txiki talking - amongst other things - about the situation of Henry and the summer events surrounding Eto'o.

You can read the earlier parts here:
Txiki (1): "Messi is the best player of the planet"
Txiki (2): "The players are very loyal to the coach"

North East England regional newspaper Sunday Sun claims that former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) has been approached in the last week about becoming the successor to Kevin Keegan as Newcastle United manager.

Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45), who was replaced by Guardiola last May, is the dream candidate of the Milan board in case current Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti would be dismissed in the coming days or weeks after a very bad season start.

But with Rijkaard apparently having planned a sabbatical, former Italian national team coach Roberto Donadoni looks at this moment to be in pole position to take over.

Italian television channel Sky Italia claims that Rijkaard and Donadoni are the two main candidates. Italian tabloid Leggo claims that Rijkaard could be the one on top of the list.

Read more:
Goodbye gift for Rijkaard
Rijkaard wanted all over the world
The bench candidates who did not make it

(This post will be updated throughout the day.)


After Milan pulled back because Barcelona asked 45 million euro, Eto'o's agent Josep Maria Mesalles talked with Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón to know if they were interested, but Calderón rejected the offer (Sport)
read more

Rijkaard has decided to take a sabatical year and therefore rejected offers from Chelsea, Ajax and Spartak Moscow, he will start listening to offers next year, Milan (as manager) and Ajax (as sports director) will probably be amongst the interested clubs (Sport)
read more