Paul Scholes' strike kicked Barca out of the competition and made sure the Catalan giants finish empty-handed for the second season running.

However, Rijkaard urged his team to fight on for the remaining games of the Primera Liga, which Barca have no hopes of winning.

"We did everything but score," said the Dutchman, who led the Blaugrana to the European title in 2006.

"It was an even game. If anything we possibly had the better of the play but the rules state that the team that scores the goal goes through.

"It’s a difficult defeat to take but we can leave Old Trafford with our heads held high and it’s important that for the rest of the season we play with pride and character and make the best of the remaining games."

Barcelona's underachieving throughout the past couple of seasons put Rijkaard's future at Nou Camp under scrutiny, but the former Holland coach has no intentions to leave.

"Leaving has not entered my head. I have no intention of leaving, the club and the team needs help and support," he said.

"It’s a time when we need to pull together and stick together. It would be a different thing if the players were saying it’s time for me to go but that’s not the case."

"Barcelona is a massive club with plenty of people capable of making decisions at the end of the season if decisions need to be taken. It will be time to draw conclusions at the end of the season.

"It would be overplaying it to say the season has been a failure. It would be easy to kick people when they are down and now is not the time to do it. You can lose yourself in this morass of criticism which can create bitterness and mistrust."