FCBARCELONA.CAT

26.04.2008 22:41

Rijkaard: “Depor deserved to win”

Anna Segura

Although accepting that the first was “fairly equal”, Rijkaard assured that Depor had earned the victory. The manger thinks that the defeat is a consequence of many factors.

“The first half was fairly equal, but in the second we dropped a gear and they made the most of it”. That is how Frank Rijkaard summed up this Saturday’s game in the Riazor where Barça fell, defeated. The Dutchman added that “Deportivo deserved the victory.

Several factors

Rijkaard recognised that the slow rhythm the team showed in the second half is a consequence of several factors. For Rijkaard this Saturday they paid the price for “Wednesday’s game, the fact that there were players on the pitch who lacked a run of games and the absence of some players.

Moreover, added that during the game “when things aren’t going well and the score is in favour of your rival, the players suffer. They wanted it but there was a lot missing in the second half”.

The lack of goals

This is the tirad game in a row that Barça has finished a game without scoring, after the draws with Espanyol and Manchester United. Frank Rijkaard is conscious that “to win games you have to score goals and this has to be worked at”. And he remarked that “when an occasion comes up it’s important that you score”.

On his side, on the debut of Pinto in a Barça shirt, Rijkaard affirmed that “he didn’t deserve a defeat”