Franklin Edmundo Rykard, nicknamed the Black Swan, is today recognized as one of the best players in the history of European football. The son of a professional football player from Suriname began his professional career in the Dutch “Ajax” at the age of seventeen. There he played for more than seven years, and in less than nineteen Frank Rikard already made his debut in the national team.
Carier start
The young football player showed great promise, his talent was simply impossible not to notice. During the game in the Amsterdam club, Rikard Frank became the Dutch champion three times and won the national cup as many times. In his last season for “Ajax” he managed to win the Cup Cup.
Unpleasant incident
In 1987, a clash broke out between Rijkard and Ajax head coach Johan Cruyff. When it turned out that the footballer had secretly signed a contract with Ajax's main rival, PSV Eindhoven, Cruyff simply stopped declaring Raikard to play.
After a long search for a new club, Frank Rajkarda finally agreed to accept the Spanish “Zaragoza”. There he was able to play at least a few matches so as not to lose shape before the upcoming European Championship.
New trophies
The victory of the Dutch national team at Euro 88, in which Ricard played, finally convinced the leadership of “Milan” to sign a contract worth 3 billion lire for 3 years with him. For both “Milan” and the Dutchman, this was a turning point. Italy's head coach Arrigo Sacchi has made Frank Raycard a key player in the midfield. It was in Italy that Rikard Frank got his nickname - The Black Swan. In this case, it was understood that his path to fame was more difficult than the path of his compatriots: Ore Gullit and Marco van Basten. Together with them, Frank composed an invincible trio of the Italian club.
Trophies rained down one after another. After five seasons in Milan, Frank Rikard twice won the European Cup, European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. And also twice as part of this team he became the champion of Italy and the owner of the Italian Super Bowl.
Big scandal
Deafening success did not last long in the football player’s career - in 1990, Frank Rykard’s biography was replenished with a new unpleasant incident. This year was, in principle, difficult for the Black Swan: his wife quarreled with him and returned to Holland with the child, after which Frank had a nervous breakdown and, as a result, problems began in the game: he was regularly kicked out of the field for gross violations.
In February, he was kicked out of the field during the final match of the Italian Cup against Juventus, a couple of months later - during the game of the championship with Verona. And this despite the fact that for ten years of his football career he has never been removed.
The biggest scandal occurred at the World Cup in Germany. In the first half, Rikard stopped the attack, knocking down Germany striker Rudy Feller, for which he was “awarded” a yellow card. After that, he spat on Feller, who, naturally, got to understand him.
The referee gave the German a “mustard plaster”, but after a few minutes the players again started a showdown, for which they were finally removed from the field. When leaving, the football player again presented Feller with a farewell spit. Frank Rikard, whose photo from this match flew around the entire football world, did not admit his wrong. Discussions instantly began on his career in general and his successes in recent games in particular. The player’s reputation has noticeably shaken.
Later in an interview, Frank Rikard said that he regrets his act, and he explained his behavior by the fact that Rudy Feller allowed himself to make racist remarks against him. The player of the German national team simply said that he forgives Frank. After a poor performance of the team in this championship, Rikard has repeatedly stated that he intends to leave the team, but still lingered for a few more years. Time has shown that it is not in vain.
The incident, which caused such a stormy resonance, came to naught over time. A few years later, Frank Rikard and Rudy Völler symbolically dined together as a sign of reconciliation.
73 matches
In the national team of the Netherlands, Ricard Frank played from 1981 to 1994. In his asset for this period there are 10 goals scored. The most memorable of them is at the semi-finals of Euro-92. Frank scored a decisive goal in the 86th minute, thanks to which he brought his team to the penalty shootout. The Netherlands then shared third place with Sweden.
The last match for the national team of Ricarda was a game with Brazil in 1994. Then in the quarter finals of the World Cup, the Dutch lost to rivals with a set of 2: 3. Later it was with the national team that he would begin his coaching career.
Return
After five seasons at the Italian club, Frank returned to his native Ajax. There he completed his player career after two years. During this time, Rikard twice became the champion of Holland. And in 1995, he won the third time the main European Cup, which has already been renamed the Champions League. In the final, the player sent the transfer head to Patrick Kluivert, which led them to victory with a score of 1-0 in the game against “Milan”. That's so beautiful Frank Rikard ended his football career at 32. Early and unexpected for many.
New Role
Having finished playing, he decided to seriously engage in business and began to create his own collections of underwear, but after a few years he had the chance to work in the Dutch team, which was then headed by Guus Hiddink.
In 1998, he received the position of assistant coach. Johan Neskens and Ronald Kuman worked with him in the coaching staff . When Hiddink resigned, the Netherlands Football Federation invited Frank to lead the national team.
After working there for two years, Rykard resigned after an unsuccessful performance at Euro 2000. The Dutch then hosted the championship and managed to break into only the semifinals.
He then headed one season with Rotterdam Sparta, the oldest Dutch club, but the team flew out of the Eredivisi for the first time during its existence. Despite all these setbacks, in 2003, Frank Rikard received an invitation to the Catalan Barcelona. Just at the same time, blue garnet bought a Brazilian star - Ronaldinho.
At the beginning of the season, the team was almost on the verge of relegation, but, gradually gaining momentum, ended the season in an honorable second place, after which only victories followed, and Rajkard finally won his first awards as a coach. For two consecutive seasons, he led them to victory in La Liga, they twice received the Spanish Super Cup, as well as three times the Catalan Cup.
In 2006, the team also won the Champions League - Rikard Frank was one of the few players who managed to do this both as a player and as a coach.
After such successes, the zeal of the players calmed down, and the main rival of Barcelona, Real Madrid, took the first place in the championship. Naturally, this did not suit either the fans or the management, and in 2008 club president Joan Laporta dismissed a previously successful coach by terminating his contract ahead of schedule. Frank Rykard completed his coaching career, and in this post he was replaced by Josep Guardiola.
Further, the candidacy of Frank for the post of head coach was considered by the Russian CSKA, but the army team eventually preferred Zico. In June 2009, Rykard succeeded Bulent Korkmaz and headed the Turkish Galatasaray. But after a year, the contract with him is terminated by mutual agreement. After 8 rounds, the team was in ninth place and flew out of the Europa League. In July 2011, Frank Rikard signed a contract for three years with the national team of Saudi Arabia, which amounted to $ 11 million.
What is today?
Having worked in Saudi Arabia for two years, Frank Rikard, whose biography was already full of unpleasant facts, was fired. After that, he could not find a new job. A year later, on March 18, 2014, Frank made a statement that he had completed his coaching career. He also said that he wanted to change his occupation, but did not specify at the same time what exactly he would do. After the official completion of Frank’s career, they are still touted to be either Barcelona or Milan, but so far these are only rumors that are not confirmed by facts.
As a talented football player, Frank Rykard is among the top hundred. Having beautifully completed the player’s career, it was he who made the game of Barcelona elegant and tactful.