Barcelona president Joan Laporta has handed coach Frank Rijkaard a vote of confidence.

Before last night's 3-0 defeat of Lyon, Laporta declared: "We have great confidence in the coach and fully support him.

"It's clear that this team is capable of great things. It is a team that is very well structured, very balanced, very competitive, with great quality and on the verge of really establishing itself."

Barca vice-president Ferran Soriano also said yesterday: "We have absolute confidence in the coach."