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Rijkaard appointed Barcelona coach replacing Antic
Barcelona, June 27: Barcelona have appointed Dutchman Frank Rijkaard as coach on a four-year contract in place of Radomir Antic.
Barcelona, June 27: Barcelona have appointed Dutchman Frank Rijkaard as coach on a four-year contract in place of Radomir Antic.
"This is a big chance at a wonderful club," the 40-year-old Rijkaard said as he was presented at the Nou Camp on Monday (June 23). " I'm ready and willing to meet the challenge and to give Barcelona a wonderful period."
Serb coach Antic was told earlier on Monday his contract would not be renewed, despite his achievement in guiding Barca to a UEFA Cup place for next season.
Antic replaced Louis van Gaal at the end of January when the club were three points off the relegation zone, but four successive wins at the end of the season took them up to sixth.
The decision to replace Antic with Rijkaard came on the first full day in charge for Joan Laporta following his landslide win in the clubs presidential election.
Rijkaard made 73 international appearances for the Netherlands in a brilliant playing career. He won the European Cup Winners Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and then had a brief spell in Spain with Real Zaragoza before joining up with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten at AC Milan.
He helped the Netherlands win the European Championship in 1988 and won the European Cup with Milan in 1989 and 1990. Rijkaard claimed a third European Cup success with Ajax in 1995 under Van Gaal, whose second spell in charge of Barcelona came to a sorry end this season.
In that team, he played alongside Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Marc Overmars -- all current members of the Barcelona squad he will train for the next four years.
After his playing career came to an end Rijkaard became an assistant coach with the Dutch national team in 1998 and took over the top job from Guus Hiddink in August that year.
His record in sole charge was modest, with the side winning eight, drawing 12 and losing two of their 22 games but Rijkaard won praise for the attacking style he fostered in a run to the semi-finals of Euro 2000.
The following year he joined Sparta Rotterdam as coach, resigning in 2002 after they were relegated. His target at Barcelona will be to get the club back into the Champions League and challenging for trophies again after a fourth successive season without a major title.
Bureau Report
Rijkaard made 73 international appearances for the Netherlands in a brilliant playing career. He won the European Cup Winners Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and then had a brief spell in Spain with Real Zaragoza before joining up with Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten at AC Milan.
He helped the Netherlands win the European Championship in 1988 and won the European Cup with Milan in 1989 and 1990. Rijkaard claimed a third European Cup success with Ajax in 1995 under Van Gaal, whose second spell in charge of Barcelona came to a sorry end this season.
In that team, he played alongside Patrick Kluivert, Michael Reiziger and Marc Overmars -- all current members of the Barcelona squad he will train for the next four years.
After his playing career came to an end Rijkaard became an assistant coach with the Dutch national team in 1998 and took over the top job from Guus Hiddink in August that year.
His record in sole charge was modest, with the side winning eight, drawing 12 and losing two of their 22 games but Rijkaard won praise for the attacking style he fostered in a run to the semi-finals of Euro 2000.
The following year he joined Sparta Rotterdam as coach, resigning in 2002 after they were relegated. His target at Barcelona will be to get the club back into the Champions League and challenging for trophies again after a fourth successive season without a major title.
Bureau Report