Johan Cruyff
Athlete
1947-04-25
Quotes by Johan Cruyff
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If I wanted you to understand, I would explain it better.
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If I wanted you to understand, I would explain it better.
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All these countries like Holland and Scotland, they create their own problems. They are always complaining, but they don't solve anything. Don't look at what you don't have; look at what you can create.
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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.
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If you take golf, you have a teacher for the drive, a teacher for the approach play, and a teacher for the putt. That's three specialist coaches for one player. In football, one coach looks after 25 players.
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Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster.
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I learned my English from Keith Spurgeon. He had some small children, and I was young, too, and so we spoke the language together, and it was fantastic.
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There is no greater medal than to be acclaimed for your style.
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I look at Messi, and he makes me laugh. A beautiful footballer who is still like a kid. A world superstar, but still a kid. Innocent, you know. He just plays.
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Ajax is a multicultural club, and we have found that many talented immigrant players quit when they reach puberty. So we wanted to tackle this problem with someone from the same background who had come through it. And that was Edgar Davids. During one of our fights, I pointed that out to him. But it had nothing to do with his skin colour.
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There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring. In the tactical area, I think I just have more than most other players.
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Coaching courses are still much too theoretical, and this is what you see reflected in the basic technical skills of the average player. I even see things deteriorating.
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When I was playing in the Ajax youth teams - when I was, say, 14, 15 - you started to get all those international youth tournaments. All those English teams came. Well, the English were much further than we were.
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It's unbelievable. I changed the way Barcelona played. Now, Spain have had to change.
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Football is now all about money. There are problems with the values within the game. This is sad because football is the most beautiful game. We can play it in the street. We can play it everywhere.
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Van Gaal has a good vision of football, but it is not mine. He wants to gel winning teams and has a militaristic way of working with his tactics. I want individuals to think for themselves.
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I don't want to be a thief of my own wallet.
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One trophy is good, but two are better. That way, when a hero wears his medals on his chest, at least his steps are level as he walks by.
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Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins.
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