http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/Kind=4/newsId=256954.html Rijkaard's beautiful game Friday, 12 November 2004 By Adam Szreter They say nothing can replace the thrill of playing, but for Frank Rijkaard life as a coach must seem pretty fulfilling. Four years after resigning as manager of the Dutch national team, and following an inauspicious start in club management with Sparta Rotterdam, his FC Barcelona side are top of the league in Spain. Attractive style They are also setting tongues wagging in the UEFA Champions League, and as their 2-1 win at home against AC Milan on Matchday 4 proved, they are effective as well as stylish. "It was a victory for attractive football," said Rijkaard, who looks as though he could roll back his 42 years and slot into Barcelona's defensive department with little trouble. Lean period Rijkaard was a surprise choice to succeed Radomir Antic in the summer of 2003, and at first the gamble looked to have failed as Barcelona languished in mid-table, losing 5-1 to Malaga CF then at home against Real Madrid CF for the first time in 20 years. "We had good footballers playing within themselves so that no one could say after the game, it was his fault, or his fault," Rijkaard told uefa.com. "They were not connecting as a team." Summer signings But the turn of the year brought a change of fortune, so much so that Barca finished second in the Primera Division. Since then a string of summer signings such as Ludovic Giuly from AS Monaco FC, Samuel Eto'o from RCD Mallorca and Henrik Larsson from Celtic FC have further strengthened Rijkaard's hand. Problems solved "The players last year did a great job in creating the base, especially in the second half of the season when we solved most of the problems," said Rijkaard. "With the directors, and Txiki Beguiristain [technical director] in particular, we planned to get players with the right mentality who could immediately make a contribution to the team." Team solutions It is not only transfer decisions that involve other staff, but substitutions too as Rijkaard revealed after the Milan game. "I always want to work as a team, because several people know more than one person," he explained. "You have your own thoughts about football, but if you start working at a new club you've got to get to know the people you're working with, and discover the club's philosophy." Barca philosophy He added: "At Barcelona, I may change one or two things because of the players I have, but generally I'm following the lines of what the public appreciated here. They want to see a team that wins, but in a good way. That's an extra challenge, but I like it because it's also the thing that I like best." Star system Rijkaard is renowned for his rejection of the star system - "I never considered myself a star when I was at [AFC] Ajax or [AC] Milan," he once said - but even he has to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of his Brazilian talisman Ronaldinho, strongly fancied to carry off FIFA's Player of the Year award next month. Ronaldinho magic "Ronaldinho is fundamental to the team," admitted Rijkaard. "If he is happy you can see it in the whole side. I consider him a very important player, and also a sensible person. He is very famous, and it's not always easy for him. But he's a wonderful person, who gives a lot of himself to his team-mates while coping with the pressure that he has from all over the world. He has a great talent, he has to live with it, and he does so in a great way." -- ██████████████████ --

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