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FC Barcelona will replace coach Frank Rijkaard with former team captain Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Rijkaard, who has been in charge for five years and was under contract until 2009, "had made history with Barcelona." Rijkaard's coaching team, which includes Johan Neeskens, will also leave.Laporta said he had informed Rijkaard of his dismissal on Thursday and that the coach had reacted "elegantly and also with great feeling."The 37-year-old Guardiola won six league titles in 11 seasons as a midfielder with Barcelona."He has the knowledge, the optimism and the self-confidence to achieve success," Laporta said Thursday.A member of coach Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team" that won the 1992 European Cup, Guardiola has never held a senior coaching position.Barcelona confirmed the coaching switch on its website."Joan Laporta has announced that Frank Rijkaard will end his stay at Barca at the end of the season. Josep Guardiola, currently trainer to the B team, will take over as coach of FC Barcelona," the team said.Rijkaard led the Catalan team to the league title in 2005. In the following year, Barcelona won both the league and the Champions League.However, Barcelona is about to complete a second straight season without a major trophy and on Wednesday lost to champion Real Madrid 4-1.The Catalan team trails Madrid by 17 points in third place, guaranteeing its worst finish in five years and making it play in the qualifying phase of the Champions League.It was also recently eliminated by Manchester United in the Champions League semifinals on a 1-0 aggregate.Rijkaard has two matches remaining - against Mallorca and relegated Murcia - before he steps down on June 30.Rijkaard, who won the European Cup as a player with Ajax and AC Milan as well as the European Championship with the Netherlands, was the fourth Dutchman to bring Barcelona a league title after Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal and Rinus Michels.Rijkaard had previously led the Netherlands to the Euro 2000 semifinals but subsequently stumbled when as manager he took Sparta Rotterdam into the Dutch second division.However, he guided Barcelona to a runner-up finish in his first season - its best position since 2000.Rijkaard then gained widespread praise for his team's attacking play which featured the brilliance of former world player of the year Ronaldinho and the marksmanship of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o.However, the Dutchman has appeared unable to deal with divisions which surfaced in the locker-room over recent years, with Eto'o publicly criticizing Rijkaard and Ronaldinho last year.This season, Barcelona made a host of new signings including former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, but Ronaldinho made little impact amid suggestions that he had lost interest. Injuries to Eto'o and several other top players hampered Rijkaard's chances of repeating his early success.Laporta on Thursday accepted blame for "not having taken decisions which would perhaps have corrected the way events have turned out."Keeping the coach on after last season's failure has not worked," he said.Laporta also exonerated sports director Txiki Begiristain from blame for the club's slump."The technical secretary does the planning and this season, we planned one of the best squads in the history of Barcelona," Laporta said.................
The Argentinian has been linked to Manchester United, with some speculative reports suggesting that a swap deal with Cristiano Ronaldo could be in the offing in the summer.Blaugrana technical secretary, Txiki Begiristain, has confessed that there will be large scale changes at the club following the Champions League exit and that has led to lists of players to come and go being drawn up.Messi's name has been on a few of those, but he insists that he has no plans to move anywhere and wants to remain at Catalan outfit where he came through the youth ranks with such a flourish."I have never thought about leaving Barcelona. I do not know what the rest of my team-mates will do, but I want to stay here," he stated.Virtually every member of the squad bar Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Gaby Milito, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta have been linked with a transfer in the summer, but in reality only eight will likely leave.Begiristain wants changes to be made, but Barcelona will have to finance a big spending spree if all the outgoing players are to be replaced in equal numbers.
Barcelona finally rediscovered their goal touch, thrashing crisis club Valencia 6-0 Sunday in front of a relieved Camp Nou. The handsome win, however, does not restore Barca to second place. Villarreal are still second thanks to a 2-0 defeat of Getafe earlier Sunday. Villarreal now have 68 points from 35 games, four more than Barca, and are now seven points behind leaders Real Madrid, who will clinch their 31st Liga title if they win later Sunday at lowly Osasuna. Manuel Pellegrini's team beat Getafe thanks to two clever goals just before half-time from little Nihat Kahveci, one of the outstanding players of the Spanish season. Barca kicked off against Valencia in an ambience of pessimism after failing to score for a month. But the goal drought was quickly broken with early goals from Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez. The much-criticized Thierry Henry then took centre stage with two more goals before half-time, with the pathetic Valencia defence shipping water. On the hour, 17-year-old Bojan Krkic came off the bench and added to Valencia's misery with two more goals, completing the rout. "It was good to give the fans something to shout about at last," the teenage idol told radio station Cadena SER. In fourth place, six points behind Barca, are Atletico Madrid, who thrashed Recreativo Huelva 3-0 Saturday. Two points behind Atletico in sixth place, are Racing Santander, who came back from 2-0 down to beat Murcia 3-2. The latest defeat condemns Murcia to relegation along with bottom team Levante, who drew 1-1 with Espanyol. There are six candidates for the third relegation place. Joint third from bottom on 40 points are Huelva and Osasuna. Zaragoza are now on 41 points following Saturday's last-gasp 1-0 defeat of Deportivo Coruna. Then come three teams on 42 points: Valencia, Valladolid and Getafe, all of whom lost Sunday. Valladolid went down 2-0 against sixth-placed Sevilla, for whom Renato scored twice........
Inter Milan's midfielder Luis Figo, who played for Barcelona for five seasons, says the Spanish club's newly appointed coach, former team captain Pep Guardiola, has what it takes to manage the team.
"I think Pep is intelligent enough to make decisions, to make choices, to do a good job," the 35-year-old Portuguese international told radio Cadena Ser.
"I know him well and I know how much he is passionate about football, so I am not surprised that he has become Barcelona's coach," he added.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced Thursday that Guardiola, who manages the club's reserves, would replace Frank Rijkaard as coach at the end of the season, its second straight season without a major trophy.
The 37-year-old won six league titles in 11 seasons as a midfielder with Barcelona but has never held a senior coaching position.
Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-final by Manchester United and trail Real Madrid in the Spanish league by 17 points in third place with two games remaining after losing 4-1 to the new champions on Wednesday.......
Fired FC Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says he is to blame for the team's poor form, not club president Joan Laporta or his players.
"I assume my responsibility and that's natural," Rijkaard was quoted as saying by news agency Europa Press on Saturday.
The Dutchman was speaking publicly for the first time since Barcelona announced Thursday he would be dismissed at the end of the season after five years in charge.
His replacement will be reserve team coach Pep Guardiola. "It has been a great honour for me. I'm concentrating on the lovely things I have experienced, the people I have worked with, the friendship with people I will carry with me in my heart, the new experiences," Rijkaard said.
On Wednesday, Barcelona lost 4-1 at Real Madrid to trail the recently proclaimed champion by 17 points in third place and guarantee its worst finish since the 2002-03 seasonBarcelona is about to complete a second straight season without winning a major trophy.
It was recently eliminated from the Champions League semifinals by Manchester United. Rijkaard said the fault for the team's difficulties did not lie with Laporta.
"People are talking a lot about the president, but he can't score goals. The sports side was run by me and if the results are not what we want, the president has nothing to do with it," he said.
Rijkaard also chose not to criticize his players, some of whom - including Ronaldinho - have been accused of lacking team spirit and not pulling their weight.
"Each of them, according to circumstances, has done his best," the coach said. Under Rijkaard, Barcelona won 166 of its 281 games.
It lost 51 times. The 45-year-old Rijkaard makes his final home appearance in charge when Barcelona hosts Mallorca on Sunday.
Supporters are expected to use the game at the Camp Nou to vent their annoyance with the team and Laporta for Barcelona's poor form.
However, Rijkaard, who led Barcelona to the Champions League and two league titles, is set to receive a fond farewell.
"We shouldn't applaud someone and not yet others. We're all in the same boat and I don't want to be an exception in this sense.
If there is whistling at the stadium it should also be for me because I am one of the team," he said. Rijkaard also said he had "a lot of respect" for Guardiola, who takes charge on July 1.
"He is doing a great job (with the reserve team). He's a man of the club and I think he could some good things," Rijkaard said.
Rijkaard will field a depleted team against Mallorca. Barcelona is missing six injured players - including Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta and Gabi Milito - along with the suspended Xavi Hernandez and Rafael Marquez.
Rijkaard has been forced to call up two players from the club's reserve side - defender Rafael Romero and midfielder Jose Manuel Rueda - neither of whom has played in the first team. The coach's final game in charge will be at relegated Murcia next weekend.
Barcelona'a Argentine striker Lionel Messi, who has reportedly sparked interest from English Premiership side Chelsea, said on Tuesday he wants to stay at the Spanish club.
"I am a Barcelona player and this is what matters most," he told radio La Red when asked about the press reports about Chelsea's desire to sign him.
"I have heard that Chelsea like me and I am very proud that such a great club are interested in me but I am happy here," the 20-year-old winger added.
Messi, the runner up for the 2007 World Player of the Year award, has already drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, the inspiration behind Argentina reaching successive World Cup finals in 1986 and 1990, winning the former beating the then West Germany and losing to the same opposition in the second finalHe is under contract with Barcelona until 2014.
Messi joined Barcelona's under-14 side in 2000 at the age of 13 and has quickly moved through the Catalan's side's youth squads until finally reaching the first team
Spanish league runners-up Villarreal have signed up Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson, seen here in January 2008, whose contract with Barcelona was at an end.MADRID (AFP) - Spanish league runners-up Villarreal have signed up Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson, whose contract with Barcelona was at an end.The 31-year-old centre-back, who can also play as a holding midfielder, spent four seasons at Barcelona during which he won La Liga twice and picked up a Champions League winners' medal.Edmilson, who previously played for Lyon, with whom he won three French league titles, has played 40 times for Brazil and was part of the 2002 World Cup-winning squad.
Barcelona defender Gianluca Zambrotta admits it is tough to see his name being touted among the list of players who could be leaving the Nou Camp this summer. With Barca having just completed their second successive trophy-less season, widespread changes are anticipated at the Catalan giants before the new term. Coach Frank Rijkaard has already been moved on, with reserve-team boss Pep Guardiola his replacement, while sporting director Txiki Begiristain announced on Monday there would be plenty of amendments to the playing squad. Media speculation suggests the futures of up to a dozen Barca players are up in the air - including Italy full-back Zambrotta. The 31-year-old World Cup winner said of that speculation: "It is a difficult moment in every aspect. Nobody knows anything about what is going to happen. "The truth is I don't think it's most appropriate seeing my name in the (media) list of players leaving because I don't deserve to be there. "I have already said before that you need to look at yourself and if in one or two years you have done all that you can then there is no problem." Zambrotta, who joined Barca from Juventus in 2006, does admit though that he does not know where he will be plying his trade next season. When asked if he will be playing alongside Ronaldinho somewhere in Italy, he said: "I don't know what the club (Barca) thinks about me. I have seen many things regarding AC Milan but I don't know because I have not spoken with either the board or with Txiki Begiristain. "I have a contract until 2010 and as I said last year I would like to end my career in Italy and at home but still I don't know anything. "Now I am not thinking about this because I don't know what is going to happen with me. It does not only depend on me." He added: "I don't know if the new coach is going to count on me or not. We shall see."
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes it's time for Ronaldinho to find a new club. Laporta said the two-time FIFA player of the year could leave the Camp Nou stadium with striker Samuel Eto'o as new coach Pep Guardiola looks to bring stability back to Barcelona next season. "We've told Ronaldinho that he needs new challenges," Laporta said. "When you finish an era it's normal that the leading figures should leave. "Last year, we thought that it might be the year to sell him, but given his enthusiasm and the appreciation that a club like Barcelona needs to have, we decided to let him stay on. Things haven't turned out the way he wanted them to." Ronaldinho played only 17 league games for the Catalans this season after rarely missing a match to injury following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003. Questions over his attitude and social habits took its toll over the course of the season. "(We) thought that (Ronaldinho) deserved another chance," Laporta said. "He was excited about becoming the world's best player again. We thought he deserved it." Eto'o has been unhappy after enduring criticism to close the season. The Cameroon striker has talked of playing in England or Italy. "He has also been one of the most emblematic players of this cycle and if he has to go then he deserves to do so with his head held high too, and with honor," Laporta said. Barcelona finished third in the Spanish league, 18 points adrift of rival and champion Real Madrid. Coach Frank Rijkaard, who guided the Catalans to consecutive league titles and the 2006 Champions League, was let go after a second straight season without a trophy, while Portugal midfielder Deco has been told to seek another club. Sports director Txiki Begiristain said Monday that negotiations with Manchester United over the transfer of Gerard Pique were "well advanced." The defender, a former Barcelona youth player, is expected to join the Catalans shortly after Wednesday's Champions League final against Chelsea. Begiristain indicated that Brazilian defender Sylvinho would be the sole player out of contract to return next season. France defender Liliam Thuram, Brazilian midfielder Edmilson, striker Santi Ezquerro and backup goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto are those who are out of contract after this season. Laporta, who has been a focal point for fans' criticism over the team's final matches, fielded some blame for the players' lack of discipline. And for hanging onto the belief that Rijkaard could transform the team's fortunes following an unbeaten run to start 2008. "We decided to stick with Frank and not fire him, and I have to take responsibility for that," Laporta said. "Rijkaard didn't leave last summer because we had faith in his professional ability. He wanted to continue and we thought that that was the best thing to do." Laporta advised the Dutchman in February that Guardiola would be his replacement should he leave. Laporta believes the former Barcelona player is well-suited to see the Catalans through the challenges ahead. "In Pep, we saw a person with humility, a man of conviction and with a style of play that we share," he said. Barcelona is unlikely to spend big as it did last offseason, when it splashed around €70 million (US$109 million) on France internationals Thierry Henry and Eric Abidal, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure and Argentina defender Gabriel Milito. "We're looking for balance, not names. We're looking for players who will give their all," Laporta said.
Lionel Messi has chosen to play for Argentina at the Beijing Olympics instead of with FC Barcelona in a Champions League qualifying game. "It is my decision, and the Olympic Games is something which I will never get the chance to play in again," Messi was quoted as saying on the website of Spanish sports daily Marca on Thursday. The forward, who turns 21 next month, said he had yet to speak to Barcelona about the matter, but the team cannot prevent Messi from playing for the defending Olympic champions in the Aug. 8-24 Games. "I believe they will understand what I think, and I don't believe there will be a conflict or any type of problem over this," Messi said. In Argentina's Olympic team, Messi will be reunited with many of the players with which he won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005. Barcelona finished third in the Spanish league this season, meaning the two-time European champions have to play in the Champions League qualifying round in August. The winner secures a berth in the group phase of the tournament. "We don't know who we'll be playing, and Barcelona doesn't just depend on me to win matches. I think people [fans] will understand, too," Messi said.
MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona vice-chairman Marc Ingla and technical secretary Txiki Begiristain on Monday promised a "full overhaul" and said that they were set to land Manchester United's Spanish defender Gerard Pique.
"There will be a full overhaul, which has started with the coach," the pair revealed ten days after Champions League-winning coach from 2006 Frank Rijkaard gave way to Josep Guardiola.
"We will have a dream team which will raise expectations," they insisted.
Guardiola, 37, will have "control of the dressing room," according to Begiristain. "he must feel the dressing room is behind him."
Last season there were occasional signs that all was not well in the Barca changing room with reports of ego clashes and the team eventually won nothing for the second year in a row.
Ingla said the club had a solid financial base which would allow proper "renovation."
Begiristain said that Barca were in "very advanced" talks for Pique, just 21, and that these would conclude after Wednesday's Champions League final between United and Chelsea in Moscow.
Among those headed for the Nou Camp exit are Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson and France 1998 World Cup champion Lilian Thuram while chairman Joan Laporta said on Sunday that fading star Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge."
Others who may yet leave as the 2006 European champions are dismantled are Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o and Portuguese international Deco, although French striker Thierry Henry, who had a mixed first season after his move from Arsenal, is set to stay put.
