FCBARCELONA.CAT

09.05.2007 14:07

“All we should do is look in the mirror”

Miriam Nadal

A mirror. That is what Rijkaard feels the players should be using as they go into the last few games of the season. In today’s press conference, he reflected on Barça’s chances in both the league and the cup.

Frank Rijkaard spoke to press on the eve of the trip to Getafe, and claimed that his side need only be concerned with what they are capable of achieving themselves when he said “we only have to look in the mirror, at each training session, at each game, and try to go out onto the pitch and display our attitude and mentality and make a good impression”.

Getafe

So, is there any chance that Getafe can pull back the three goal deficit carried over from the first leg? “Everyone has their owe targets and dreams, and I think that’s a good thing. In this case, it means they are convinced and is a warning to us to be well prepared. It is best to plan in advance, and then there will be no need for excuses. We have to get out onto the pitch and do everything we can to meet our targets” said Rijkaard.

The league title race is a tense affair, while in theory Barça have already done the hard work in this semi final, having won 5-2 at home. “I am happy that we are still in the competition and have come so close” said the Barça boss. “There is still a lot of work to do and we have to qualify at a difficult ground and against a team like Getafe, who say they can make a comeback. It will be complicated but generally I am happy because we are fighting for the team and the club’s objectives”.

The league

“I only believe what is mathematically possible, and that means there is more than one favourite” said Frank Rijkaard when asked who he felt was most likely to win the league this year. He did not think there was any sense in comparing what is happening this season with what happened last time round, before adding that “any team would like to swap places with us”.

The fixtures

Neither does he believe we should make too much out of comparisons between Barça, Madrid and Sevilla’s remaining fixtures. “In the final stages of the season” he pointed out, “the weaker teams are fighting harder than ever to achieve their goals”.