“He only put me in to embarrass me” - Rivaldo opens up on how ex-Barcelona coach tried to humiliate him

Former Brazil star Rivaldo recently opened up about how ex-Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal tried to embarrass him during his time at the club. The Brazilian played for the Catalan giants between 1997 and 2002, recording 130 goals and 46 assists in 235 outings across competitions.

Louis van Gaal coached Rivaldo during his first stint at Barcelona between 1997 and 2000. His second stint (2002-2003) came after the Brazilian's departure in 2002.

Under Van Gaal's guidance, Rivaldo contributed 80 goals and 29 assists in 149 outings across competitions. However, things were not always in the best of terms for Rivaldo and Van Gaal, as recalled by the Brazilian in a recent interview.

Speaking to Betfair this month, Rivaldo opened up about his experience of working with Louis van Gaal at Barcelona. He said (via Metro UK):

"Van Gaal is a great coach. But he does not like the player who stands out, the player who does something individual. He is very collective. And, of course, I was also very collective. But there are times when I could do much more. He limited me, he took away all my freedom.”

The former Selecao star then specifically recalled a time when the Dutchman embarrassed him amid a disagreement between them over the Brazilian's position on the pitch. While Van Gaal wanted to play Rivaldo as a left winger, he wanted to play as a number 10.

The former Blaugrana legend continued:

"He took me to a game where he had given Luis Figo, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Enrique a rest and he put in some players from the youth team. It was a cup game, I think against a third-division team."

"I remember Mourinho [who was a part of Barca's coaching set-up at that time] saying to me: “Hey, you play as a No.10.” He put out a very, very, very average team, he gave everyone a rest and he only put me in to embarrass me.’"

Despite facing certain difficulties with Louis van Gaal, Rivaldo fondly remembers his five seasons at Barcelona. He notably won two LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, and one UEFA Super Cup with La Blaugrana. He also won the 1999 Ballon d'Or during his time at the Camp Nou.

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When Rivaldo named Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal as the player who reminds him of himself

Lamine Yamal - Source: Getty

In an October 2024 interview with Diario Sport, Rivaldo named Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal as the player who reminds him of himself. He said (via GOAL):

"The one that everyone is loving is Lamine. At times, yes [he reminds me of myself] because I went onto the pitch to enjoy football, that joy. He has that joy, he plays to enjoy, he enjoys it and the fans do too. He is 17 years old and plays as if he were 26 or 27."

"He will surely be great, he already is, he is doing a great job: he is a Euro champion, he did well in Barcelona. But one day he will be the best in the world."

Lamine Yamal rose from the ranks of Barca's famed La Masia academy and quickly went on to become one of their most prominent players. He made his senior team debut in April 2023 and has been a regular starter for both former coach Xavi and current coach Hansi Flick.

The youngster has contributed 13 goals and 21 assists in 72 outings for La Blaugrana.