Barcelona president pushes Benitez option

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has put forward the name of Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez (47) as the one who should become the next Barcelona manager if the results force current manager Frank Rijkaard (45) to leave at the end of the season.

Is it said it was a go-between and personal friend of Laporta who informed the Barcelona president about the fact that the Liverpool manager is, contrary to what is generally believed, not untouchable. Laporta would have given the go-between the permission to contact Benítez discretely through the manager's former agent Manuel García Quilón.

With Benítez, who was not on the initial list of the technical staff, Barcelona president Laporta wants to have a valid successor for Rijkaard that is not former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45), who Laporta thinks could give problems cause of his character and the negative view of Barcelona legend Johan Cruijff and some media. Mourinho is nevertheless strongly supported by some members of the Barcelona board, including economic vice president Ferran Soriano and sports vice president Marc Ingla, and by an important part of the Barcelona fans.

Meanwhile British tabloid The Daily Mirror claims that Benítez, who has also attracted the interest of Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Valencia, is supported by Barcelona legend Johan Cruijff, who would have made a report to Barcelona president Laporta about the manager issue.

(read more on the manager debate here)

No second year without a trophy, Frank

Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla gave in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE his support to Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45): "Frank has consolidated our way of playing and has always found the right solutions. We fully trust him." Ingla nevertheless pointed out that it wouldn't be normal that Barcelona would not win anything his season. Although admitting that football isn't a science and that the game is getting more and more competititive, Barcelona has always won about one title every two seasons: "We cannot allow another year without a trophy."

In an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport, Barcelona marketing vice president Jaume Ferrer declared the same: "What happened last season was a big disappointment for all 'barcelonistas'. We cannot allow that we should experience the same thing for a second year in a row."

Ronaldinho at least until 2010

During an interview with the Catalan radio station Ona FM, Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla said that the Barcelona board hopes Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho (27) will at least fulfil his current contract that expires in 2010: “And if he performs at the level we expect him to, we could even consider to start renewal negotiations”.

(read the opinion of Barcelona vice president Ferran Soriano about a possible Ronaldinho renewal here)

Meeting with Mourinho confirmed (but…)

Barcelona vice president Marc Ingla admitted in an interview with the Catalan radio station Ona FM that he met with former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (read more here and here). He nevertheless denied that he and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had been negotiating about the Portuguese coming to Barcelona next season to replace current manager Frank Rijkaard.

Although Ingla considers Mourinho to be “a great manager”, Barcelona is still very happy with the way Frank Rijkaard is doing his job and a change is therefore not considered: “We don’t have a list of managers who could replace Rijkaard. We’re satisfied by his work and together with him we’re already planning for the next season."