Rijkaard: Maybe Saviola will get his chance (3 Sep 2006 21:54 GMT)
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard chose to turn a blind eye towards the controversy surrounding Saviola's decision to stay, and offered the Argentine a ray of hope, despite reiterating that he was not an integral part of his plans.
"I respect his decision," Rijkaard was quoted by Sport as saying. "I spoke to him before the transfer window closed, and he knows very clearly my point of view, that I will not purposely sideline him."
The Dutchman reiterated that Saviola was not a part of his tactical plans, but kept the door open for the future.
"Perhaps he can have his opportunities to play. That cannot be discarded completely," he added.
He also denied that Saviola's presence could harm the great atmosphere in the team.
"He is not going to disturb the dressing room at all," Rijkaard said. "Until now, we have all worked very well with him, and we also know that he is a player wanted by the fans."
While Rijkaard has insisted that Eto'o and Gudjohnsen are sufficient for the team's needs - just as the Cameroon international and Larsson were last season - Barcelona still have a good five tournaments to participate in, and Saviola might just help keep his forwards fresh until the final stretch of the season.
source : Goal.com