A Quote by Frank Rijkaard

It's my belief that Barcelona are successful because they have a number of youth teams alongside the first team. They are where it begins. — © Frank Rijkaard
It's my belief that Barcelona are successful because they have a number of youth teams alongside the first team. They are where it begins.
When a coach trusts you enough to take you from the youth team and put you into the first team, one of the best teams in the world, it's not easy.
It is clear that for any player of Barcelona's youth squad their dream is to play for the club's first team.
Luckily for me, Hereford restarted their youth team. I trained a few times with the first team before my first stroke of luck, when the club's youth team coach Pete Beadle, someone who knew me well, became the first-team manager.
It was just great to wear the Brazil shirt in the senior team for the first time. I'd already worn it before playing for various age groups in the youth teams but it's very different playing for the Brazilian first team.
When I was in the youth team, I didn't really see a path into the first team initially because there were managers who didn't really want to promote youth, they'd rather go out and buy someone.
I almost missed the chance to join Barcelona because I was on holiday in Mali visiting my parents' family for the first time. We spent all summer there and every day Barcelona were calling my mother's phone and getting no reply because she had left it in Barcelona.
I think Barcelona and the Spanish national team have been good for soccer because there are a lot of teams that come up playing from the back: with the goalie, the defense, moving up a defender to midfield, playing attacking soccer. I think fans want to see that. They want to see beautiful soccer, a spectacle, and Barcelona does that.
I think Barcelona and the Spanish national team have been good for soccer because there are a lot of teams that come up playing from the back : with the goalie, the defense, moving up a defender to midfield, playing attacking soccer. I think fans want to see that. They want to see beautiful soccer, a spectacle, and Barcelona does that.
In every game, there's three teams out there. There's the two basketball teams and the team of officials. If the two teams are evenly matched, it can come down to number of possessions. If one out-of-bounds call goes the wrong way, that can be the difference.
Barcelona is one of the best teams in the world. When you play in a team like this, you have more chance to show your performance.
I started this job in 1995, and I felt the same pressure in my first day, with my first team, Reggiana, in the Second Division, as I feel now. Nothing has changed, but what changes are the number of games, especially for top teams. For this reason, the work has pressure. But only this.
Look at the teams that have been successful in the NBA. Yes, you have big, glamorous cities like L.A. But Miami has won, and so has San Antonio. Oklahoma City is a very successful team. They're not the biggest markets.
It's not the great stars that win; it's the great teams that win. It's the teams that subjugate their ego to the team and put the team first.
The teams which embrace the socialist ideology rather than having superstars, are the teams that are successful. Or if there are superstars they don't perceive themselves to be that. That's why I use Messi as an example. As much as he's a superstar he respects his team-mates and their collective efforts.
I left Barcelona because I believed it was very difficult to have minutes in the first team, as there are very good players.
Honestly, I think winning changes all of that. It doesn't matter where you are - it could be Timbuktu - if you win, people will watch, they'll follow and they'll support. It's my responsibility to put a team on the floor that will win, and that attracts players. Look at the teams that have been successful in the NBA. Yes, you have big, glamorous cities like L.A. But Miami has won, and so has San Antonio. Oklahoma City is a very successful team. They're not the biggest markets.
This site uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. More info...
Got it!