Marquez wanted change

Barcelona star Rafael Marquez believes the club was in need of change after winning major trophies with Frank Rijkaard.

Rijkaard was replaced by Pep Guardiola as coach at the end of last season.

“Rijkaard and Guardiola are different coaches and they work in very different ways. With Frank we won major trophies and we must not forget that,” he told Mexico’s Don Balon magazine.

“Change shows ambition and maybe we had settled into too much of a routine in the last couple of years and the results no longer came our way.

“We needed to change things around and, luckily, we now have that winning touch again.

“What happened was the fault of everyone. For some it was due to the fact that they let others carry them and others who did not stop what was happening.”

“Rijkaard was a very stable person. When he had to impose himself he showed his strength and when he wanted to be happy and cheerful, the message was also clearly made,” he continued.

“He works a lot more forcefully. He is stricter. In aspects such as discipline and mentality he works a lot.”

[Source: Don Balon magazine]