© EuroFootball.com
"The head coach of the Spanish and European champions, Frank Rijkaard, admitted his guilt for the two recent defeats of the Catalan superclub to London's Chelsea and Madrid's Real clubs last week.
"I did a poor job. The players' positioning and playing style were not clear, and my substitutions did not help us win the last two matches," Rijkaard told Spain's radio station "Radio Catalunya" on Tuesday.
The Spanish superclub lost the UEFA Champions League match to Chelsea 0-1 in London last week in the middle, and on Sunday, they also suffered a 2-0 defeat to their toughest rivals, Real Madrid, as visitors.
Rijkaard admitted that one reason for the team's decline in form is his rotation policy, heavily criticized by Barcelona's media.
"The team spirit was good, but I think now is the time to return to the basics," the Dutchman said. "Maybe I paid too much attention to each player, I wanted everyone to play, but at the same time, I did not pay enough attention to the team as a whole."
"I made changes that affected the team and changed its tactics. The team did not perform well, so I will have to make some changes. It's a good warning for me," the coach said.
"Barcelona" will play in the fourth round of the Spanish King's Cup on Wednesday against another Catalan team, the third division "Badalona," and on Saturday, they will face Huelva's "Recreativo" at home in the Spanish championship."
