Rijkaard: Exit expected

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Barcelona sporting director Txiki Begiristain has announced the club's plans to make changes in personnel at the end of the season.

Barca's UEFA Champions League semi-final defeat to Manchester United left the Spanish giants facing a second consecutive campaign without silverware.

Manager Frank Rijkaard, whose side are currently third in Primera Division, is expected to part company with the club once the term is over.

And Begiristain has expressed his disappointment at the 2007/08 campaign, ruing the impact of a number of their high-profile signings, while urging Rijkaard to conclude the season on a high.

Decisions

"The poor performance means we have to make changes," Begiristain told Barca TV. "Now is the time to analyse the situation and we will make the decisions at the end of the season.

"If we had got to [the Champions League final in] Moscow almost nothing would have changed. We haven't improvised before and we aren't going to do it now.

"Everything has been prepared and will be done in time. The changes will take place at the end of the season.

"Last year, we reacted quickly and at the start of the season no one doubted the quality of the squad, but the truth is it hasn't turned out well.

Dignified

"Not winning any trophies has been a big disappointment given the big names we've got, but the image on the poster is one thing and the performance the players actually give is another.

"The blame lies with the players, the coaches and the technical staff. Rijkaard has done an extraordinary job. He's honest and he is a club man.

"He now has to find a way of finishing off the season in a dignified fashion and making people remember his successes."