Jordi Cruyff finally answered why he took his talents to England after a solid stint with FC Barcelona.
Following a legendary career as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Johan Cruyff began the second chapter of his life as a manager in 1985.
After spending three years as Ajax’s manager, Cruyff took the reins at Blaugrana in 1988. While he brought instant success to the club, the same cannot be said for his son Jordi Cruyff’s career in Spain.
Speaking of which, Jordi finally revealed his father’s role in his departure from Barcelona to Manchester United in 1996.
Johan Cruyff didn’t want his son to get a first-team contract with FC Barcelona
Jordi spent five seasons rising through the ranks in Barcelona’s youth academy and ultimately waited for a promotion to the senior team in 1996.
However, Johan Cruyff blocked the transition, which ultimately led to Jordi’s departure to the Red Devils in England.
“I already knew it was time to go. They wanted to give me the first-team contract and my father said no – he’s going to keep a second-team contract. I was angry: why is this?” Jordi said on Stick to Football.
He added: “And he said, ‘I’m protecting you because one day they will want to use it and they cannot use it.’ The advantage was my buyout clause was then less than half.
“He probably already understood that if he was going to have a fight, they’re not going to hurt him. He’s going to decide his own future.”
Jordi ultimately benefited from the move as he was part of United’s phenomenal squad for three seasons, where he became a 3x Premier League champion.
He also won the English Super Cup (1996/1997), FA Cup (1999), and Champions League (1999) at Old Trafford.
Jordi Cruyff explains the difference between football in Spain and England
The debate between the quality of football in Spain and England is as old as time. Cruyff, who played in both leagues, shared his two cents on the same.
“There is a clear fact: there is a difference between the two leagues. Spain had control of the ball, more the technical side, and England was just… every game was a different battle,” Cruyff explained.
He then dove deeper into the assessment and ultimately hailed the Premier League as better than La Liga.
“In Spain, 30 years ago, when you had a good team with talent, then you would win because you were better – but here, being better doesn’t mean you’re going to win games.
“You need a lot of winners in the team, and you need stability; two bad games and you can’t win titles like that,” he stated.
Now, that’s one way to settle the debate. As for Cruyff’s life right now, he is currently serving as the technical advisor for the Indonesian national team.
- Read More: Jordi Cruyff lifts the lid on Barcelona’s surprise pursuit of a future Premier League star
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