Milan beckon Rijkaard, Barca look to Basten
Afp, Madrid
Holland coach Marco van Basten would replace Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona coach if the latter decided to leave and join AC Milan, sports daily Marca reported here on Friday. The Madrid paper added AC Milan had made a very good offer to Rijkaard to succeed Carlo Ancelotti next season at the top Italian club. "If Frank leaves for AC Milan .... Van Basten replaces Rijkaard," was the headline in Marca, who said the possibility of van Basten eventually coming to the Catalonian club had been endorsed by Johan Cruyff, who is close to Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Marca added Rijkaard, under contract at Barcelone till June 30 2009, could leave if Barcelona won the Champions League or if Joan Laporta lost in the next club elections. The 43-year-old Rijkaard has been coach at the Nou Camp since June 2003. Before that, he had been Holland coach from July 1998 to June 2000 and Sparta Rotterdam coach in 2001/2002. Striker van Basten, a three-time European Footballer of the Year, has been at the helm of the Dutch national side since July 29 2004.
| 
