Rijkaard won't enjoy first all-English final
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After his team lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Tuesday, it's guaranteed that the May 21 final in Moscow will be between two English teams. Chelsea and Liverpool play in the second semifinal on Wednesday with the score at 1-1 from the first leg.
Rijkaard, the Dutch star who won the trophy playing for Ajax and AC Milan, is full of admiration that English clubs dominate the competition.
He just doesn't like the way they're doing it.
"I think that the level of the English teams is very high," said Rijkaard, who also coached Barcelona to its 2006 Champions League final triumph over Arsenal.
"If it weren't for the fact that two teams had to play each other (Arsenal and Liverpool in the quarterfinal) we could easily have seen all four (English) teams in the semifinals.
"They are very difficult to beat, very strong and very disciplined."
But Rijkaard believes that they don't play the same way as they do in the English Premier League - fast and entertaining.
"When they play in European games it's not the same (as in the domestic league). They all get behind the ball, very well organized and play with counter attacks," he said.
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"It's a pity because the English teams have a lot more to give on the pitch to the public. It's strange to see English teams defending, defending and defending with their lives and trying to win with the counterattack. I think they can do a lot more. They have their own spirit, their own culture but you don't see it in European football."
Rijkaard was surprised to see Manchester United sit back and try and stifle his own creative players and then rely on the speedy Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Carlos Tevez hitting them on the counterattack.
United manager Alex Ferguson said that was a tribute to Barcelona's own attacking flair.
"Because of the way Barcelona play you have to play counterattack. If you try and meet them too early (on the field) they will open you up because they always play the extra man in midfield.
"What Frank Rijkaard is saying that we didn't go hell for leather at them all the time - I think he would have liked that."
Now Ferguson has the chance of winning a second Champions League title to go with the one in 1999 when United beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final on two late goals.
"We deserve to be there," Ferguson said after Paul Scholes' 14th-minute, 25-meter strike, the only goal over the two legs.
"We needed a fantastic performance tonight and I think we got one."
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