saurabh
08-04-2006, 01:29 PM
http://images.skysports.com/images/playerpics05_06/champsleague/koeman.jpg
Following their defeat in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, Benfica coach Ronald Koeman has refused to speculate on his future with the club.
Despite the fact that the Dutchman has guided the Lisbon side to their best European campaign in a decade, fans are unhappy with the club’s domestic performances, as they lie back in third place, seven points behind leaders Porto.
Barcelona beat Koeman’s side 2-0 at Camp Nou, with goals by Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho and Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o, following a 0-0 draw at Estadio da Luz.
When questioned about his Benfica future, Koeman answered with a smile: "I was expecting that question, but I’m not going to answer it," reported the Record sports newspaper.
Koeman refuses to be distracted, maintaining a focus on the immediate future: "As for us, we have to think about our match next Sunday with Maritimo," he added.
The 43-year-old took over from Giovanni Trapattoni at the beginning of the season on a two-year deal. The Italian guided Benfica to their first Portuguese title in ten years last season, but resigned after a year at the club.
Koeman replaced Trapattoni’s defensive tactics with open, attacking football, helping Benfica to victories over Manchester United and Liverpool in this season’s Champions League.
However, Benfica could not replicate their sparkling displays in Europe in their domestic league, highlighted by an embarrassing goalless draw at home against 10-man Naval last month, and an early exit from the Portuguese Cup, with a defeat to Vitoria Guimaraes in the quarter finals.
Benfica’s director of football, Jose Veiga expressed his support for the former Dutch international.
"He has still got a year to go on his contract, so he is going to stay on," he told TSF radio.
Koeman believes that Barcelona have a good chance of progressing to the
Champions League final.
"It’s clear they have the capacity to eliminate AC Milan," he said.
"We went into the game jittery but we got better as time went by," said the Dutchman in the Record. "In the second half, we took more risks and we had one or two chances to level."
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard saw Benfica captain Simao Sabrosa’s missed
opportunity in the second half as the turning point of the game.
"Fortunately, we were able to score the second goal, which let us breathe easy. If Simao had scored, it probably would have been all different," he told O Jogo.
Following their defeat in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, Benfica coach Ronald Koeman has refused to speculate on his future with the club.
Despite the fact that the Dutchman has guided the Lisbon side to their best European campaign in a decade, fans are unhappy with the club’s domestic performances, as they lie back in third place, seven points behind leaders Porto.
Barcelona beat Koeman’s side 2-0 at Camp Nou, with goals by Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho and Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o, following a 0-0 draw at Estadio da Luz.
When questioned about his Benfica future, Koeman answered with a smile: "I was expecting that question, but I’m not going to answer it," reported the Record sports newspaper.
Koeman refuses to be distracted, maintaining a focus on the immediate future: "As for us, we have to think about our match next Sunday with Maritimo," he added.
The 43-year-old took over from Giovanni Trapattoni at the beginning of the season on a two-year deal. The Italian guided Benfica to their first Portuguese title in ten years last season, but resigned after a year at the club.
Koeman replaced Trapattoni’s defensive tactics with open, attacking football, helping Benfica to victories over Manchester United and Liverpool in this season’s Champions League.
However, Benfica could not replicate their sparkling displays in Europe in their domestic league, highlighted by an embarrassing goalless draw at home against 10-man Naval last month, and an early exit from the Portuguese Cup, with a defeat to Vitoria Guimaraes in the quarter finals.
Benfica’s director of football, Jose Veiga expressed his support for the former Dutch international.
"He has still got a year to go on his contract, so he is going to stay on," he told TSF radio.
Koeman believes that Barcelona have a good chance of progressing to the
Champions League final.
"It’s clear they have the capacity to eliminate AC Milan," he said.
"We went into the game jittery but we got better as time went by," said the Dutchman in the Record. "In the second half, we took more risks and we had one or two chances to level."
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard saw Benfica captain Simao Sabrosa’s missed
opportunity in the second half as the turning point of the game.
"Fortunately, we were able to score the second goal, which let us breathe easy. If Simao had scored, it probably would have been all different," he told O Jogo.