Johan Cruyff: “Real Madrid is obsessed with Barça and they’ve crossed the line”

Johan Cruyff gave a mammoth interview to El Peridico in which he discussed topics such as Rosell’s presidency and Barca under Guardiola. Yesterday we presented you part of the interview. Here is the concluding part in which he looks at Real Madrid’s changed avatar under Mourinho and also shares his views on the new signings. The original can be found here. The first part can be read here.

From his retirement place, in El Montanyà, Johan Cruyff contemplates Pep’s Barça with pleasure. He is happy that his student has already mastered the art he created about two decades ago. His vision of football is still alive in the current team, and more so, it is getting perfected by thay young skinny man he discovered in the Mini Estadi one day, ignoring those voices that said he wasn’t good enough. Cruyff once gave his blessing to Pep as the new coach appointed by Laporta and Txiki, opposing a lot of people who wanted Mourinho. So he is delighted to talk about Pep and his team.

Pep is doing a fantastic job, he does everythin well.

Why?

From the football point of view, everything is going great. The currect success is a consequence of maintaining the same philosophy for years. But now I witness that the club is not only obsessed with winning silverware, but making money. The approach should be different. Last season, it seems money is the reason to exist for Barça. But I think that football must be the most important thing. Football does not exist to generate money, but just the opposite.

What do you mean?

I was saying that Pep is doing a great job because he isolates his team from the rest of things happening at the club level. They (the directive board) have a different view of things. We saw that in the pre-season, before the Spanish Supercup and the US tour. I know the club must take any chance to earn money, but there’s got to be a balance, training is needed and there’s got to be time to do that, and prepare the tournament properly.

Madrid also went on tour, but it seemed they were much more prepared to win that first title.

Perhaps people didn’t realize, but Barça took many risks. Guardiola knew. Luckily, everything went fine, but losing the Super Cup would have meant a big blow for the start of the season. And the chances of losing it were big because of that difference in preparation between both teams. Guardiola was very brave, he took big decisions and managed enormous risks, and it wasn’t easy, they were facing Madrid. But he said: “I will play them, no matter what happens”. And it worked. But it all has to do with the obssession about money. You have to collect, sure, but you also need time to get ready, to prepare. The balance was not right, at the begining of this season.

And what about the war-like atmosphere that surrounds the clasicos since Mou has arrived?

I have never seen anything like it. The situation has become very unpleasant. Mourinho? I have already talked about him in El Periódico, long time ago. I don’t need to repeat that. The problem seems more serious to me. Madrid has a responsibility as a big football team, and there are things that should not be allowed.

Why do you say that?

There are millions of children worldwide that are receiving a bad example, Madrid does not care about them. Since Valdano left, things have gotten much worse. You can say anything about Valdano, but he is a gentleman. Mourinho may be a good person in private and he is a very good coach, but he shows another face to the world. Madrid needs to  change this situation.

They don’t seem to.

Madrid is suffering of bad luck, bad luck of having this Barça side at such a great level. If Madrid played in another league, or another time, they would do great and win lots of silverware. They are a good team, but they haven’t found the way of defeating Barça yet. And if we discuss about tactics, then I can say I am a bit surprised. There are always some ways of defeating a team. What is worse for them, is that they always make the same mistake. But if they don’t know how to fix it, it’s much better for Barça.

I asumme you won’t tell me what it is..

Of course I won’t say! It’ their problem. I know Madrid can make excuses or justify things that have no justification, but the world does not share their vision. Beyond winning or losing, Barça has a clean image and Madrid’s… is not what it was. And besides, there is Mourinho… if players are submitted to a coach like him, someone that causes trouble every day, what can they do? I mean, how some players react…

You are talking about Casillas, Xabi Alonso…

I speak in general. When you see them acting the way the have in the past games, you think “these are not them”. I guess they think the same, once the game is finished… They’re like between a rock and a hard place. What can they say? That they do not agree with the coach? They can’t. Mourinho’s attitude does not only affect his own image but his players’ reputation as well.

In one of your articles in El Periódico, you said that Florentino’s soul is inside Mourinho’s body.

It’s true. Being a president does not only mean to lift trophies. It also involves taking tough decisions. That’s his job. It is not always nice. Madrid has been a huge club for so many years, thanks to their style, their behaviour..and it’s been huge in Spain and the world. But they are losing their prestige with each passing day. They are obsessed with Barça and they’ve crossed the line. And people here should understand that because it was the other way around, for many years. But we never reached these limits.

About the news signings, Cruyff says he is not surprised by the arrival of Cesc. “Not even when Guardiola used him as a “false” striker. He knows his players and always finds the best way for them to do their job. Cesc motivates the rest, nobody gets relaxed.”

About Alexis, he said, “Alexis is a brave kid. I liked him since his first game. And it was not an easy game, at the Bernabéu, facing a team that was much more prepared than Barça. Alexis works hard, he goes after every ball and does not only think about himself. That is the basic quality for this team, and what I like the most. It doesn’t matter if he scores or doesn’t, or he doesn’t complete a dribble. Now Barça has another player like Pedro, who chases every ball, or Messi, who is the best but also works hard for the team, or Villa, who runs all the time. They’re all honest people.”

Johan Cruyff: “What kind of club does Rosell want?”

The following is a translation of the first part of a question and answer session with Johan Cruyff published in El Periodico. The original can be found here.

A year ago, you returned the insignia of honorary president [of FC Barcelona]. Afterwards, you had a meeting with [Sandro] Rosell to try to fix things, but the distance continues and you have not returned to the Camp Nou.

No, no I haven’t once been back to the stadium. It’s just that, on an institutional level, I like very few things that they do. I don’t see a path and there are strange things [going on]. For example, last year they sold [Dmytro] Chygrynskiy for 15 million because they said they could not even pay his wages and now they have spent nearly 70 million because they will likely pay nearly every variable, in two signings [Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fábregas]. If you say there is no money, it is because there is none, and you must accept that, but this does not seem very consistent.

But now the club will generate more income with the Qatar Foundation contract, although the deal must first be ratified by the assembly.

I already said that I do not like shirt sponsors; however, if it is necessary then something must be done. But if there really was so much urgency, why did they simply not do it the year before when, according to them, things were so bad? Why are they doing what they are doing with the [other sporting] sections? Can you save the club with this money? I don’t get it. You can fix things with just a little imagination, like using just a part of the proceeds from the Gamper [trophy], because Napoli came to play for free. You already cover the costs. What is a section? It’s one of the symbols of Barça being more than a club. These are people who have an emotional bond [with the club]. They always talk of emotions and sentiment, but with certain gestures and decisions, they betray themselves.

There are problems with your foundation.

Yes. The club is undergoing expansion, to promote an image of unity—similar to what they have done with Bill Gates and his foundation, and it seems perfect to me. Or with Shakira as well. But here, in Catalunya, they do nothing. My foundation, which does things here around Catalunya, has not been paid. Why play games? I see no consistency between one situation and the other.

The fact you have not been paid seems to be more attributed to the financial claims the club has made and to the fact that it was a deal that you signed during your days with Joan Laporta’s board.

But there’s a contract. I keep doing the things that I was doing before and pay out of pocket. I read that [Rosell] needs to talk about this with me but he has not done so—not him, not anyone. They go on making excuses, but nothing that makes sense. If he wants to make a difference, then do it, say something, but you can’t keep lying to these handicapped children. This type of aid is a part of the responsibilities of a club like Barça. You have to set an example and the example is not to always be crying about lacking this or that, and criticizing the ones who came before you.

But this war continues. There is a legal liability movement against Laporta and his directive staff.

Yeah, yeah. Many are criticizing him but you are collecting trophies now because of the good work he did before. So, why do you behave like that? I truly don’t understand it. Even though I have been at the club for many years and I normally know from which directions the shots are coming, it’s not clear any longer.

Why?

Because I see strange things. What am I referring to? The Qatar deal, for example, when you know that Rosell had or has relations and business and we’re talking about a very rich country. Just look at what he has done to the sections like it matters nothing, and he speaks about how much debt we have and always with this economical topic. What does he want, to someday turn Barça into a private corporation?

That seems impossible.

I’m not so sure. So, in which direction do we move? What kind of club does he want? There are things here that you don’t understand and make you suspicious. If you want to sell a company, what do you do? You eliminate that which does not pique the interests of the buyer. Let’s say Qatar [Foundation] is the buyer. The other sections of the club won’t interest them, neither will the local foundations because they already have their own. These are not pleasant thoughts and I am not saying it’s true, but you see things that make you think there could be something behind it all.

Your relationship with [Pep] Guardiola remains intact and on the margins of the situation. You play golf, eat together, talk often …

Yes, one thing that has nothing to do with the other. We are friends. What can you say? Do you hide what you think? Do you hide yourself? If he asks you something, would you not answer? It’s absurd. The friendship I have with him gives me great pride.

He’s already beating you in titles: 12 to 11.

That gives me even greater pride. I haven’t worked for 15 years and he is making me even more famous. So, how am I supposed to be jealous of someone who is maintaining my prestige? What more could I ask for? What’s even better is that this is the best way for this philosophy to stay on its feet and bearing witness to the admiration that he provokes, for however small it is, that little rascal [laughter]. If you pick up any newspaper in the world and there is an article talking about the great style of Barça, my name always appears and makes me even more famous. Oh, that it lasts, that it lasts.

Precisely. This relationship with Guardiola is one of the reasons why you have decided not to write every Monday in El Periódico as you did before and which you will now do once a month.

Here you always have people who want to misinterpret things. I do not want to interfere with Pep’s work nor do I want to make him feel uncomfortable because of what I think about the team each week. Last season I spoke very little about things going on with the club. But I see things continue to be the same. When Rosell said he and his team were not bullies or charlatans, what was the point? Why do you even have to make that allusion? And we are accusing [José] Mourinho? If you have inherited one of the most exceptional things in the world and in the span of a year have had more glory and more trophies than anyone else, a secure team for years to come, be grateful.

But Guardiola is the guarantee that all will continue the same.

It scares me to think about what will happen when he’s not around, because Rosell has always been against people like Pep and [Frank] Rijkaard. His philosophy is more Brazilian and Portuguese. Everything started with Rijkaard, with his behavior. He was a gentleman. If he had been working under Rosell, he would have been thrown out within six months and it’s also likely that none of this would have occurred.