St Patrick’s Day will mark 22 years since the day Diego Maradona’s career fell to pieces.

AS Christmas approaches, European football has a reassuringly traditional feel.

FRANK RIJKAARD was yesterday confirmed as the new coach of Saudi Arabia, signing a three-year deal.

FORMER Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will sign a contract to lead Saudi Arabia, according to an official from the team on yesterday.

IT WAS a mixed week for still impressionable thirtysomethings. In front of a Bologna police station and inside a hall in Dundalk, two 90s heroes made a little news.

THOSE who think Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona legacy is confined to the annals of history should think again.

Frank Rijkaard’s agent has denied the former Holland international is a potential candidate to take over as Chile coach following the resignation of Marcelo Bielsa.

Galatasaray have confirmed coach Frank Rijkaard has left the club by mutual consent.

AC Milan forward Ronaldinho thanked the Barcelona fans for their support during what he describes as “the best years of my career” in an open letter sent 24 hours before the two teams meet in tomorrow night’s Joan Gamper trophy at the Nou Camp.

The agent of Turkey manager Guus Hiddink has dismissed reports linking the Dutchman with the Liverpool job.

THE boy from Terrassa was just 11 when he turned up at Barcelona’s Masia training school and received his first lesson in what the club expected from him.

UNWORRIED and full of courage. That’s how Giovanni Trapattoni wants his Ireland side to face the French – “just like Trap the player when he came up against Pele”.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.

REAL MADRID president Florentino Perez has revealed the Spanish giants are pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery.

IT BEGAN with a massed tribute to Matt Busby but ended up as a homage to Catalonia. And while the man who was Mr Manchester United could only ever be pained by defeat – especially one as comprehensive as this – you have to suspect that even he would have secretly swooned at some of Barcelona’s fearless and at times flawless football in Rome last night.

Ajax director Rik van den Boog has ruled Frank Rijkaard out of the running to become the club’s new coach.

I SEE the Chelsea hierarchy have found that self-destruct button again — and inevitably, they will not be able to help themselves from pushing it.

Frank Rijkaard's agent insists the Dutchman would "consider" the Chelsea manager's job and would not be scared off by the ruthless reputation of club owner Roman Abramovich.

AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti today emerged as the main contender for the Chelsea job at the end of the season.

Frank Rijkaard’s agent insists the Dutchman would “consider” the Chelsea manager’s job and would not be scared off by the ruthless reputation of club owner Roman Abramovich.

STEVE STAUNTON apparently didn’t even know his phone number, now he finds himself the apple of Giovanni Trapattoni’s eye. Yep, the world sure has turned for Glenn Whelan.

Gus Hiddink has emphatically ruled out any chance of becoming the next Chelsea manager – but believes fellow Dutchman Frank Rijkaard could be a good choice to succeed Avram Grant.

Henk Ten Cate’s exit from Chelsea, just five days after the dismissal of manager Avram Grant, casts severe doubt over Frank Rijkaard’s chances of taking the top job at Stamford Bridge.

A host of names have already been linked with the Chelsea manager’s job even though Avram Grant was not sacked until yesterday.

Premier League clubs will be on high alert after Barcelona president Joan Laporta admitted both Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o could be on their way out of the Nou Camp.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will be replaced by Josep Guardiola at the end of the season, club president Joan Laporta has revealed.

I DIDN’T see the man from the Manchester Evening News in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s defeat of Barcelona.

Frank Rijkaard will not resign in the aftermath of Barcelona’s Champions League defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

FIFTY years after Munich, forty years after George Best inspired Manchester United to its first European Cup, Alex Ferguson witnessed one of the club’s greatest-ever players secure the club’s third European Cup final as Paul Scholes scored the only goal of the tie to eliminate Barcelona at Old Trafford and confirm United’s place in Moscow on May 21.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard heaped the pressure on Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has kept faith with the majority of the squad that played in last week’s goalless Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United for Tuesday’s return encounter.

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry expects Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford to be far more open than the goalless semi-final first-leg stalemate.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes his side are better than Manchester United and is confident the Catalan giants will advance to next month’s Champions League final in Moscow.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own. Today, and every Tuesday, he will be acting as referee on your opinions on the Premiership. Let him know what you think and he’ll argue the toss with you.

Barcelona 1 Schalke 0 (Barcelona win 2-0 on aggregate)

BARCELONA captain Carles Puyol is confident he will be lifting the Champions League trophy for the second time in three seasons come May.

FOR drama and surprise there is nothing quite like La Liga, although the Premier League shows signs of running it close this season.

Barcelona have denied reports coach Frank Rijkaard will leave the Nou Camp at the end of the season

Frank Rijkaard has dismissed all talk of resignation ahead of tonight’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Schalke.

BARCELONA coach Frank Rijkaard insists his side are ready to put an alarming dip in form behind them and salvage their season against Schalke tonight.

Ronaldinho has been omitted from the Barcelona squad for Thursday’s Copa del Rey semi-final return leg at Valencia.

Thierry Henry has backed Lionel Messi to return from injury and make a key contribution to Barcelona's challenge for honours.

Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi is set to be ruled out for around six weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered during last night’s Champions League match with Celtic.