| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Jordi Cruijff | ||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1988 | Ajax | ||
| 1988–1992 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1992–1994 | Barcelona B | 47 | (14) |
| 1994–1996 | Barcelona | 34 | (11) |
| 1996–2000 | Manchester United | 34 | (8) |
| 1999 | → Celta Vigo (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2000–2003 | Alavés | 94 | (7) |
| 2003–2004 | Espanyol | 30 | (3) |
| 2006–2008 | Metalurh Donetsk | 28 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Valletta | 17 | (10) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1995–2004 | Catalonia | 9 | (2) |
| 1996 | Netherlands | 9 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009–2010 | Valletta (assistant) | ||
| 2010– | AEK Larnaca (team manager) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:49, 22 August 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Johan Jordi Cruijff (born 9 February 1974 in Amsterdam), anglicised as Jordi Cruyff is a Dutch former footballer and currently AEK Larnaca's Director of Football.[1] He played from 1992 through to 2010, his clubs including Barcelona and Manchester United. He gained nine caps for the Netherlands national football team, playing in the 1996 European Championships. Cruyff is the son of Dutch former player and manager Johan Cruijff.
Jordi played mainly as an attacking midfielder, though he could also appear as a second striker. In his later years, notably with Metalurh Donetsk, he also played as a centre back. After starting his career with Barcelona (under his father's management) and playing for the Netherlands aged 22, Cruyff's career stalled whilst at Manchester United, as he appeared just 36 times in the league over four years due largely to injuries. His most successful period was arguably with Deportivo Alavés, whom he led to the 2001 UEFA Cup Final. He also played for Celta Vigo, Espanyol and finished his playing career with Valletta in the Maltese Premier League.
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Although born in Amsterdam, Cruyff spent his early life in Spain where his father was playing for Barcelona. In 1981, the Cruyff family returned to the Netherlands, where the player was introduced by his father in Ajax's youth ranks at the age of seven, after having watched several matches. In 1988, when Cruyff was fourteen, he followed his father back to Barcelona, as the latter had been appointed Barcelona's head coach.
In 1992, Cruyff made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División, and two years later joined the senior team during a pre-season tour in the Netherlands, where he scored hat-tricks against Groningen and De Graafschap. On 4 September 1994, his father gave him his top flight debut in, a 2–1 defeat at Sporting Gijón. On 2 November, he played against Manchester United in the Champions League, and Cruyff set up the first goal for Hristo Stoichkov, as Barcelona won 4–0.
Despite a positive start, Cruyff's time at Barcelona effectively came to an end when his father was sacked by Josep Lluís Núñez. On 19 May 1996, he played his last game for the club against Celta Vigo, at the Camp Nou.
In August 1996, Cruyff signed with Manchester United for a fee of £1.4 million on a four-year contract. He made his club debut on 17 August, in a 3–0 win over Wimbledon, the opening fixture of the 1996–97 season, in a game noted for David Beckham's goal from his own half. Cruyff then scored on his next two appearances, helping to 2–2 draws against Everton and Blackburn Rovers.
He was a regular in the first team until the end of November, when he suffered a knee injury. Late 1996 was a difficult time for the Reds, who surrendered the last unbeaten start in the Premier League when they were crushed 5-0 by fellow title challengers Newcastle United on 20 October. Over the next two weeks, they were beaten 6-3 at Southampton, lost their unbeaten home record in Europe to Turkish champions Fenerbahçe in a Champions League group game, suffered their first home league defeat in two years when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Old Trafford, suffered a further home defeat in Europe to Juventus, and were then dumped out of the Football League Cup by Leicester City. By March, however, he was back in the side and United's season was firmly back on track. They had been top of the league since late January and had qualified for the European Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 28 years, where they beat FC Porto 4-0 on aggregate. Although they lost to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, United won their fourth league title in five seasons. Although he remained at the club for another three seasons and United won four trophies during that time, the 1996-97 Premier League was the only winner's medal that Cruyff collected at United.
An ankle injury further jeopardised his first team chances in 1997-98, as he played just five league games and failed to score. He played five times in the league and scored twice the following season before a loan deal with Celta Vigo took him back to Spain in January 1999. He scored twice in eight games for the Spaniards before return to United, who had completed the treble of the Premier League title, FA Cup and European Cup during his absence.
In 1999-2000, despite the arrival of Quinton Fortune as another understudy for Ryan Giggs on the left wing, Cruyff played eight times in the league for United and came just two games short of a title winner's medal as they were crowned Premier League champions for the sixth time in eight seasons. He was also on the scoresheet three times. On the first occasion, he scored a second half equaliser against Wimbledon at Old Trafford on 18 September 1999 and set the course for an unbeaten home run in the league that season. On 26 February 2000, United travelled to Selhurst Park for the return game against Wimbledon and Cruyff's 30th minute goal contributed towards a 2-2 draw - a result which earned United a point and helped ensure they would lose just three league games (then a Premier League record) all season. His final goal for United came on 29 April 2000 when he scored a late winner against doomed Watford in a 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road. His final appearance came on the final day of the season, 14 May 2000, as a Teddy Sheringham winner gave United a 1-0 away win over Aston Villa and ensured that they finished champions by a margin of 18 points - which a decade on has yet to be surprassed in the Premier League.
Cruyff's contract expired on 30 June 2000 and he returned to Spain on a free transfer to Alaves. In four years he played a total of 54 games for United and scored eight goals.[2][3]
On leaving United, Cruyff moved once again to Spain, and signed with Deportivo Alavés. With the Basque, he reached the 2001 UEFA Cup Final, against Liverpool: despite being 2–0 and then 3–1 down, Alavés embarked on a spirited comeback and Cruyff's goal in the 89th minute tied the game at 4–4. An own goal in extra time saw Liverpool lift the cup.
Cruyff continued to play for Alavés until the club was relegated at the end of 2002–03. The following season he joined Espanyol, being played regularly in his only season. From 2004 to 2006, he was semi-retired after a serious knee injury, keeping fit with Barcelona B and playing in some veteran matches. Cruyff spent the 2007–08 season playing with Metalurh Donetsk, where he played mainly as a centre back.[4] At the same time, he entered the fashion business, helping develop the Cruyff clothing brand.[5]
In mid-2009, Cruyff signed a three-year deal as assistant-manager of Maltese side Valletta, aiding first coach Ton Caanen, while also being a player in his first season. He made his debut on 26 July 2009, in a 3-0 win in the Europa League 2009–10 first qualifying round against Keflavík. His league appearance came on 21 August 2008, in a 3–1 win over Birkirkara. He scored his first goal on 29 August 2009 in a 6–0 win against Floriana. Valletta won the MFA Trophy in Cruyff's first season beating Qormi 2-1, although Cruyff did not play in the final as he was not fully fit.
In 2010, Cruyff announced his retirement from professional football and joined AEK Larnaca as Director of Football.[1][6] He signed Ton Caanen as head coach, and the pair worked to establish the team as a new football powerhouse in Cyprus.
Cruyff's performances for Barcelona persuaded coach Guus Hiddink to include him in the Netherlands team for Euro 96; he made his debut for the national side in a 2–0 defeat against Germany, on a 24 April 1996 friendly.
Cruyff scored his only goal for the Netherlands during the final stages, on 13 June, in a 2–0 win against Switzerland at Villa Park, and was one of six Dutch footballers to be selected for the Dutch national team while never having played in the Eredivisie, the other capped players being Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Rob Reekers, Willi Lippens, Wim Hofkens and Jeffrey Bruma.
Cruyff also played for Catalonia, scoring on his debut, a 5–2 win over Barcelona at the Nou Estadi de Tarragona, on 25 June 1995. He also scored for Catalonia in a 5–0 win over Lithuania on 22 December 2000, at the Camp Nou. In all, Cruyff played nine times for the side, including two defeats against Brazil in 2002 and 2004.
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1993–94 | Barcelona | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994–95 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 9 | ||
| 1995–96 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 2 | ||
| England | League | FA Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1996–97 | Manchester United | FA Premier League | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 3 |
| 1997–98 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 3 | ||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1998–99 | → Celta Vigo (loan) | La Liga | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Deportivo Alavés | La Liga | 35 | 3 | - | - | 10 | 4 | 45 | 7 |
| 2001–02 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2003–04 | Espanyol | La Liga | 30 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 30 | 3 |
| Ukraine | League | Ukrainian Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2006–07 | Metalurg Donetsk | Ukrainian Premier League | 13 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 0 |
| 2007–08 | 15 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 0 | ||
| Malta | League | Maltese Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2009–10 | Valletta | Maltese Premier League | 17 | 10 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 21 | 10 |
| Total | Spain | 173 | 24 | - | - | - | - | 173 | 24 | |
| England | 34 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 34 | 8 | ||
| Ukraine | 28 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 28 | 0 | ||
| Malta | 21 | 10 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 25 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 256 | 42 | - | - | - | - | 260 | 42 | ||
Barcelona
Manchester United
Valletta
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