Frank Rijkaard’s Leather Couch

Simon Kuper has a superb interview in today’s Financial Times with Barcelona’s Dutch coach.

Frank’s comment about Lionel Messi — whom we shall not see this week due to injury — illustrates Rijkaard’s sensitivity toward his players and to the social & emotional dynamics of the team family. And he talks about the Catalan core.

(Rijkaard pictured in training with Cemeroonian striker, Samuel Eto’o.)

SIMON KUPER: What’s the role in the changing room of your homegrown Catalan players, Xavi, Carles Puyol and Victor Valdés?

“That’s the heart of the team. These boys live and sleep Barça, as it were. They work every day with pride, with ‘illusion’, as they say here. If you have a core of players like that, then younger players automatically have to adjust, and so learn how to behave in the group. But nowadays many teams don’t have that core, because players get bought and sold so quickly.”

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Category: Champions League

Tags: Andres Iniesta, Barcelona, Carles Puyol, Champions League, Frank Rijkaard, Lilian Thuram, Lionel Messi, Man Utd, Ronaldinho, Schalke 04, Thierry Henry, Victor Valdés, Xavi Hernandez

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