Rijkaard says he is unlikely to return to coaching
Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:44pm GMT
Saudi Arabia's coach Frank Rijkaard reacts during their Gulf Cup tournament soccer match against Yemen at Khalifa Sports City in Isa Town January 9, 2013. REUTERS/Fadi Al-Assaad
(Reuters) - Former Dutch national team and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says he is no longer interested in being a manager.
"As things stand now I won't become a head coach again. I have no desire to make a comeback," he told the Dutch magazine Voetbal International in an interview published on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old has been without a position for the last 14 months after being fired from his last job with Saudi Arabia in January last year.
"I'm grateful for everything I have achieved in football but now I'd rather do other things, go and watch games and enjoy discussing them afterwards. I have no desire to be 60-year's-old and standing on the side of the pitch," he added.
Rijkaard had an imposing playing career at both club and national team level before being fast-tracked into the coaching ranks, appointed Dutch national coach in 1998.
His fortunes on the bench in subsequent years produced contrasting results as he was the coach when the Netherlands' oldest professional club Sparta Rotterdam suffered relegation for the first time in their history in 2002 but four years later he won the Champions League with Barcelona.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson, editing by Martyn Herman)
