Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard revealed his admiration for his Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson ahead of their Champions League encounter.

The two sides will meet at the Nou Camp tomorrow in the opening leg of their semi-final as they look to secure a ticket to Moscow next month in the battle for Europe's top club trophy.

And speaking in today's pre-match press conference, the Dutch coach described Ferguson as "one of the best managers around".

"I don't like to speak about the best or compare people, but he (Ferguson) is one of the best and influential managers around. I congratulate him for that and I have a lot of respect for him. He embodies football," Rijkaard said.

Rijkaard also insists he does not feel undervalued at Barcelona and believes Ferguson has earned the right to work under less pressure at Old Trafford.

"I don't feel undervalued at all. I think you have to look at it the other way around. He (Ferguson) has created his atmosphere. He is a great manager and has done a great job," he said.

Rijkaard is aware of the obvious threat posed by Cristiano Ronaldo, but says the tie will be won by the best team.

"It is clear that they have many great players and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them, but it is not a game about one player. There will be two great teams out there and the best team will win the tie," he said.

While Barcelona have progressed in Europe, the Catalan giants have failed to win any of their last four league games and are now 10 points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Primera Liga.

Despite the possibility of a second trophyless season, the former Holland coach says he is not thinking of leaving the club at the end of the season.

"I am part of a team. Those things are not going through my head. I am happy that we can participate in this great tournament, but I am not thinking of leaving," he said.

Lionel Messi and Deco have just recovered from injury, while Thierry Henry is struggling for fitness, but Rijkaard says all three may start tomorrow.

"Messi is progressing well and could start. Henry has been with the team today and we will see how he is in the training session. Deco is okay too, he has worked hard in the last few training sessions," he said.

Meanwhile, Messi dismissed talk of a duel between himself and Ronaldo.

"More than a duel between me and Ronaldo, this is a game between two big teams and will be a very interesting match," said the Argentinian.

"I try to do the best I can for my team, but who is better (he or Ronaldo) is something for the people who watch football to decide," he said.

The winger also admitted he was also looking to playing against international team-mate Carlos Tevez.

"It is always great to play against another team-mate and a friend. With the quality he has, he is very important for his team," he said.