Deco said he was ready to quit Barca if they do not lift a trophy this season, but Rijkaard insists: "I have spoken with Deco and there's always a difference between when a person tells a story and the catch phrases from that story. The message seems different when I listened to his words, nothing is wrong.

"Deco provides a lot of excitement for Barca and is a player who is proud of playing for this club.

"He's a winner and has this ability of self-reflection, self-criticism, which is required to win and to stay with Barca.

"Surely, he only wants one thing: to continue with Barca."