Jordi Cruyff has followed his father into the off-field business of football, but he has taken the road less travelled.
The former Manchester United and Barcelona winger’s career was cut short by knee injuries and he took his first steps in coaching at Valletta in Malta, before moving on to Cypriot club AEK Larnaca – where he chose to become the director of football.
His success in Cyprus took him to Maccabi Tel Aviv, who take on Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Ahead of the visit of Jose Mourinho’s men to Israel, Cruyff has given an interview to the Guardian, in which he offers his opinion on Louis Van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford.
Cruyff spent four injury-hampered years at United but his opinion is most interesting given the long-running and bitter feud between his father, Johan, and Van Gaal.
Cruyff senior went to the courts in 2011 to prevent Ajax from reappointing his former team-mate as coach, but the younger Cruyff’s issues with Van Gaal centre around the United manager’s strict adherence to a possession game.
“When you bring in a coach like Van Gaal you know you will get interesting press conferences but also a team that has control over the ball, possession and movement,” said Cruyff.
“But I do think it’s important to listen to the club legends, people like Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, and not to lose the identity they created.
“Sometimes you have to find a middle ground between what you want and what has already made the club successful, and if they find that they will return to being the biggest and the best.”
Van Gaal must just love everyone telling him to listen to Scholes.
