Cruyff attacks Barcelona suits as talk of a crisis grows following disappointing season

Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has claimed boardroom meddling has been wrecking the club for the last four years.

Barça’s fall from grace continued this week after they crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid and the old Dutch master says even as far back as 2011 when they won their last European Cup interfering directors and presidents were making the coach’s job impossible.

Cruyff said: 'I have been saying for a long time that for the last four years it has not been the coach that has been making the decisions at Barca.

'That is why what is happening now is to be expected. It started with directors telling Pep Guardiola to sell a player he did not want to sell. From then on it was clear who was calling the shots, not the coach.'

Barcelona sold Dmytro Chygrynsky back to Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010 just one year after Guardiola had requested his signing.

It was the first year of Sandro Rosell’s presidency and the decision was made against the coach’s will.

Barcelona then failed to land Thiago Silva who moved to PSG. They are still desperately in need of central defensive reinforcements and now unable to act because of Uefa’s transfer ban.

Last summer the club signed Neymar when many felt another attacking player was not the priority. And there has even been the suggestion this season the Brazilian has been picked ahead of other players because of how much he cost.

Cruyff added: 'Tata Martino does what he can but it’s not the coach who makes the decisions. The directors have been influencing things for some time now and it gets worse and worse.

'I don’t blame Neymar in all of this. He is a victim of money, of his manager, and of the club.'

Cruyff also defended Leo Messi. He said: 'There is no common sense when it comes to Messi. Three weeks ago he was the best and then after this week’s game he is the worst.
'He should be the best paid player in the squad.' And repeating a point he made last week in reference to Neymar, he added: 'You cannot have a 21-year-old as the best paid player

I wonder who the player(s) were they told Pep to sell?

Err.. probably Dmytro Chygrynsky?

zigra wrote:Err.. probably Dmytro Chygrynsky?

Not the brightest bulb are you OP

My hope is all this crisis talk leads to Barca losing the Copa final but I'm not too optimistic about that game

I wonder who the player(s) were they told Pep to sell?

how about reading the article you just posted ?   

I was only hoping I was dreaming about reading his name of all people Pep wanted to keep.

pep wanted to sell touré and eto'o , but wanted to keep ukrainian jesus   

So to summarise it, Cruyff thinks Barca are failing because Pep was forced to sell Dmytro Chygrynsky

I agree

In with a shout of winning a title and in a cup final is considered a 'fall from grace'?

RED wrote:In with a shout of winning a title and in a cup final is considered a 'fall from grace'?

I believe he's talking about it other things then just that. Banned from transfer window, the board deciding who we buy and sell, Neymar case, etc.

Rosell has been utter poison.

Why doesn't Cruyff do something to get involved with the club more, rather than just being a guttersnipe in the background shooting his mouth off to the media?

The_Badger wrote:Rosell has been utter poison.

Why doesn't Cruyff do something to get involved with the club more, rather than just being a guttersnipe in the background shooting his mouth off to the media?

He was Barcelona honorary president in 2010 and the same year Rosell striped him of it and since he hasn't been involved with the club. I highly doubt the current board will even allow him to get involved. The only thing he can do is wait for them to get out.

How does the presidency situation work at the club? Can he not run?

The_Badger wrote:How does the presidency situation work at the club? Can he not run?

There voted by the club members (socios), but I'm not sure what you have to do in order to run for it exactly other then the obvious things. Free would know better on that.

Cruyff is a bit of a jerk these days, though, isn't he?

Hapless_Hans wrote:Cruyff is a bit of a jerk these days, though, isn't he?

He's opinionated. Very. He clearly thinks of the club fondly, but unless he actually does something to help Barca other than mouth off to the press, then he just comes across as a fool.

He didn't need an official position in the club to start a revolution at Ajax. I doubt he'd be able to do the same at Barcelona but you can do quite a lot even if you're not president or anything like that.

And he was always like that. It's not because of age but because he doesn't care if he pisses someone off.