One of the greatest players of all-time, Johan Cruyff has passed away at the age 68. The legendary Dutchman had an incredible career both as a player and a manager. The three-time Ballon d’Or won a host of trophies in his time in Spain and Holland. Cruyff was a football philosopher and was well known for his linguistic brilliance and inimitable statements. Here are few of his quotes about the beautiful game of soccer:
- “I’m ex-player, ex-technical director, ex-coach, ex-manager, ex-honorary president. A nice list that once again shows that everything comes to an end.”
- “There is only one ball, so you need to have it.”
- “When you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball 3 minutes on average … So, the most important thing is: what do you do during those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball. That is what determines wether you’re a good player or not.”
- “Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.”
- “I’m not religious. In Spain, all 22 players make the sign of the cross before they enter the pitch. If it works all matches must therefore end in a draw.”
- “After you’ve won something, you’re no longer 100 percent, but 90 percent. It’s like a bottle of carbonated water where the cap is removed for a short while. Afterwards, there’s a little less gas inside.”
- “If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don’t have the ball you must make it as small as possible.”
- “I find it terrible when talents are rejected based on computer stats. Based on the criteria at Ajax now I would have been rejected. When I was 15, I couldn’t kick a ball 15 meters with my left and maybe 20 with my right. My qualities technique and vision, are not detectable by a computer.”
- “Surviving the first round is never my aim. Ideally, I’d be in one group with Brazil, Argentina and Germany. Then I’d have lost two rivals after the first round. That’s how I think. Idealistic.”
- “Choose the best player for every position, and you’ll end up not with a strong XI, but with 11 strong 1’s.”
- “Technique is not being able to juggle a ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Then you can work in the circus. Technique is passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your team mate.”
- “In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.”
- “Players today can only shoot with their laces. I could shoot with the inside, laces, and outside of both feet. In other words, I was six times better than today’s players.”
- “Players that aren’t true leaders but try to be, always bash other players after a mistake. True leaders on the pitch already assume others will make mistakes.”
- “In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.”