Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says he will seek the help of Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren as he prepares to face Chelsea in the Champions League.
Chelsea’s 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough on Saturday was their heaviest defeats in four years for the club.
Barca face Jose Mourinho’s side in the first knockout round of the Champions League, and Rijkaard sent assistant Henk Ten Cate to see the English champions capitulate at the weekend.
Rijkaard says he will now enlist the help of McClaren before the European clash.
“I’m going to ring the manager of Middlesbrough, so he can tell me how they won,” Rijkaard is quoted as saying in The Sun.
“We know what happened because we had our scout there, this says that things aren’t working like before.
“Chelsea will treat the 3-0 defeat as a warning without doubt.
“You always need maximum concentration but they are human just like us and in football these things can happen.”
Rijkaard, however, has his own concerns, after watching his side slide to their second consecutive league game on Sunday night to title rivals Valencia.
The 1-0 defeat saw Barca’s lead cut to just six points, although Rijkaard sees the recent defeats as a blip rather than a sign of a looming crisis at the club.
“The team is not in crisis,” Rijkaard insisted. “Two consecutive defeats is not a disaster.
“We are six points ahead of the second club and that is very important for us.”
“This team needs to win without Ronaldinho to demonstrate that it does not depend on a unique player.
“Against Valencia my team put up a fight and this aspect is very important.
“This week much mental work is necessary with the players”
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