FCBARCELONA.CAT

08.03.2007 18:38

Stoichkov: “The fans must get behind the team”

Ex-Barça player Hristo Stoichkov says that fans should not be too critical of the team after the European elimination and that now is the time to get behind Rikjaard.

Hristo Stoichkov was participating in the Sant Cugat del Vallès golf championship between ex-players of Barça and Real Madrid - one of the events organised ahead of this Saturday’s classic. After the tournament, the mythical Barça number 8 paid a visit to Barça TV to share views ahead of the classic.

According to Stoichkov “now is the time to get behind the team. Its difficult to accept the elimination from the Champions League, but people should remember how difficult a competition it is to win. As evidence, Stoichkov pointed out that Barça have won it only twice in their history. That is why he thinks that criticism of the team is not justified: “The players must be respected now, the coaches and the directors also, and there should not be any talk of changes”.

The League and the Cup

The objectives for Barça from now will be retaining the league title and winning the Copa del Rey. For Stoichkov, “they are two important titles and now we must focus on that.” The current Bulgarian national coach also used his visit to call in on Frank Rikjaard, who he said was “relaxed”. As for Real Madrid, Stoichkov believes that they could be affected by the elimination from Europe and also the possibility of falling 8 points behind Barça in league – the only competition in which Madrid are still involved.

An expert on the classics

If any player lived the classic derby with intensity at the start of the 90’s it was Stoichkov. The Bulgarian acknowledged that it was a special game for him and said, “in those type of games Barça has to show what they are made of”. Stoichkov also said that today’s classics cannot be compared to those in his era. He has no doubt when predicting the result for Saturday “we will win and I don’t care by what score”.

Unbeaten at the Camp Nou

During the six and a half season at Barcelona, Hristo Stoichkov played in five Barça-Madrid games at the Camp Nou. The balance is very favourable: four victories and one draw. The only goal he scored was in a last minute 2-1 win in the opening weekend of the 1992/93 season.