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21.01.2007 00:01
Rijkaard underlines the maturity of his team
Barça coach Frank Rikjaard acknowledged that the game was "not attractive" but he was positively pleased with the "maturity and calmness of the team". For Rikjaard, Barça were "very professional and the players did their job well".
It wasn't Barça's best game of the season but the 3-0 win against Gimnastic demonstrated the superiority of Barça over the Tarragona team. Frank Rikjaard, who accepted that the game was 'not attractive' praised the 'maturity and the calmness of the team even though they didn't show much of "the attacking style we like to play". The Dutchman considered that his players put in a professional performance and did a good job.
Different types of play
Rikjaard remarked that this Sunday Barça didn't fall into the trap set by the opposition as has happened in previous matches. The Dutchman was happy that the team is learning to play different styles of football and against Ginmastic the team put the result first, something he admits must be done from time to time.
Leaders despite all the injuries
Following the victory, FC Barcelona is leader with 38 points and with a game less played than their rivals. Rikjaard believes that the team has "fulfilled its obligations as we are now leaders in spite of all the injuries we have suffered". The Dutchman expressed his optimism about the future of the team and says that Barça "can grow even more".
The Barça coach considers the win against Gimnastic as an important and "well-earned victory". The Dutch coach believes that this triumph marks the path to follow for the teams immediate future.
Praise for Gimnastic
The Dutch coach acknowledged the good work done by Gimnastic Tarragona. "They have a good mentality and are well organised. The work they put in tonight was very good" explained Rikjaard, although he added that "they lacked a little bit in attack, but they are capable of surprising more than one team"
Laporta: "The gameplan of Rikjaard was perfect"
At the finish of the game, Joan Laporta had a few words to say about coach Rikjaard and emphasised the part the Dutchman's tactics had in winning the game against Gimnastic: "There is no doubt it was a difficult game. In any case, after the first goal, it was Gimnastic who had to chase the game. In that sense the tactics of our coach were perfect". The Barça president was especially happy at the fact that FC Barcelona were also proclaimed winter champions but also said that "being winter champions is only an anecdote and the real prize would be to claim a third consecutive league title". For Laporta the most important thing about being winter champions is that it "demonstrates the ability of the team to deal with adversity".
Finally, Joan Laporta expressed his wish that Gimnastic does everything possible to stay in the top division and also expressed his hope that the FC Barcelona v Gimnastic Tarragona matches become a regular fixture in the league calendar.
