[UEFA]Rijkaard ready for repeat showing.
http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/Kind=4/newsid=453477.html
Rijkaard ready for repeat showing
Friday, 8 September 2006
by Paul Saffer & Jim Agnew
Frank Rijkaard will not need to be told that winning the European
Champion Clubs' Cup two years in a row as a club - or a coach - is
a daunting task. After all, no one has done it in the UEFA Champions
League era, and before that it was last achieved in 1989 and 1990
by Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan, with Rijkaard in midfield.
In his stride
Now FC Barcelona, under Rijkaard, are contemplating defending the
European Cup, won in dramatic style in Paris against Arsenal FC in
May. But Rijkaard is a man to take these things in his stride, as
proved by the matter-of-fact way he explains the match-changing
decision to deploy Henrik Larsson with Barcelona contemplating
defeat at the Stade de France. "It wasn't that complicated," he
told uefa.com. "We were 1-0 down and the change that we made was
to put on more offensive pressure. In that perspective
he did a great job as he had a hand in both the goals we scored."
Rarefied company
It may have been simple, but it was certainly effective. Rijkaard,
who struck the only goal of the 1990 European Cup final against SL
Benfica and was on the AFC Ajax side that defeated Milan five years
late, is now in rarefied company. Only Miguel Munoz, Giovanni Trapattoni,
Johan Cruyff and Rijkaard's old Milan team-mate Carlo Ancelotti have
won the European Cup as a player and coach, and the Dutchman is the
sole person to do the double in the UEFA Champions League era.
'Great moment'
But was it a different feeling from the trio of playing victories to
last season's achievement? "I don't know," he said. "It is a great
feeling to win the Champions League as a player or as a coach. More
than a feeling, the circumstances are different. Winning it as a player
is different than as a coach. But the feeling remains a same. It is
a great achievement, not of one person, not one player, not of one
coach but of a club, a team, and everybody working with the team on
a daily basis. It is a great moment of joy."
Chelsea reunion
Barcelona open their title defence at home to PFC Levski Sofia before
a trip to Werder Bremen, beaten twice by Rijkaard's side in the 2005/06
group stage, but the real test of the opening round comes next - the
double-header against Chelsea FC, who they have faced in two epic last-
16 matches in their recent campaigns, losing in 2004/05 but gaining
revenge this spring on their way to the title. Rijkaard predicts more
excitement. "It will be the same," he said. "The main factor is the
two teams know each other well. We have to prepare well, but we know
what kind of opponents they are. I stick with the idea that I hope it
will be interesting again for the spectators and for football in general."
Consistent approach
Of course there are other obstacles before that and Rijkaard, like
any good coach, is treating all opponents just as seriously as Jose
Mourinho's men. "I am always trying to prepare the team for the match
to come," the Dutchman explained. "And why? Because every game is
important for a big team like Barcelona, and we have a lot of fans
that expect something good of their team. So we always have to prepare,
it doesn't matter which competition, which opposition, because it's a
responsibility from ourselves towards the fans. You can't always achieve
the best result but you have to try, you have to go for it."
Positive thinking
That last sentence is significant, as it sums up Rijkaard's evident
coaching philosophy. And a possible prevalence of cautious tactics
worries the attack-minded trainer. "You do have problems in general
right now that defensive football is more or less rewarded," he said.
"It's a pity because football is there to give a good show and to go
for goals and believe in yourself. But people misunderstand, I can
appreciate a good solid defence and a team that plays in that way.
But we see too many teams playing in the same way, when they lose
the ball they all go back. So I think that's not good publicity for
football in general."
Istanbul memories
Unsurprisingly, therefore, Rijkaard picks a goal-strewn thriller as
the European tie he would like most to watch again. "I have seen a
lot of great games," he said. "But I live in the present, the past
is the past. So the final that stays in my mind is not so long ago,
it is the final between Milan and Liverpool [FC]. Because it was
surprising and changed completely after the break. It was a spectacular
game, so I'll stick with that one."
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