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Johan Cruijff Quotes

Soccer player

Dutch football legend, former captain of the Netherlands national team, and a legend at Ajax and Barcelona. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football.

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All Football Change Player Balls Soccer Ifs Play Winning Games Loses Mistake Opponents Simple Team Knows Coaches Great Football Running Two World

Famous Johan Cruijff Quotes

“The ball is an essential part of the game.”

Games Essentials Balls

Author:Johan Cruijff

“If you play on possession, you don't have to defend, because there's only one ball”

Ifs Play Balls Possession

Author:Johan Cruijff

“If you want to play quicker you can start running faster, but it's the ball that decides the speed of the game.”

Ifs Want Play Running Games Balls Speed Faster

Author:Johan Cruijff

“A counter-attack can only arise when you make a mistake. That's why there are rules. A horizontal pass? Prohibited. In my line-up there are as many lines as possible. Because you must have the option to pass the ball forward, even if it's a meter. Because then I can still make up for the loss of possession. After a horizontal pass this is impossible.”

Ifs Stills I Can Lines Loss Mistake Impossible Balls Possession Arise Meter Horizontal Counter Attack

Author:Johan Cruijff

“Often you see people who move there and then, once they have arrived, the ball moves here after which they also come here, but then the ball goes there again. I say: just stay where you are, then you are in any case at the right place half of the time.”

People Moving Half Cases Balls Where You Are Right Place

Author:Johan Cruijff

“The hardest thing about an easy match is making a weak opponent play poor. A poor player isn't poor because he tends to kick the ball in his own goal. It's because when you put intense pressure on him, he loses control. So you have to increase the tempo of the game and he'll automatically give the ball away.”

Giving Play Games Easy Goal Loses Poor Player Weak Balls Increase Pressure Intense Hardest Opponents Kicks Hardest Thing Tempo

Author:Johan Cruijff

“The fun part of golf is the variety of shots. In football you can do anything with a ball, but you can do anything with a golf ball as well. When you hit a shot and the ball does exactly what you want it to do ... that's wonderful. It's just great when you hit the ball well. You should always try not to make the ball cry.”

Want Should Trying Wells Doe Fun Can Do Wonderful Cry Football Shots Balls Golf What You Want Variety Golf Ball

Author:Johan Cruijff

“He deserves ten out of ten for doing what he does. He is a sensation, but still he can improve. He must know when to move the ball on quickly and when to try the impossible mission. When he learns this, he won't win a single Golden Ball, but an entire collection.”

Knows Trying Doe Stills Moving Winning Impossible Ten Deserve Balls Missions Golden Collections Sensations

Author:Johan Cruijff

“Technique is not being able to juggle a ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Then you can work in the circus. Technique is passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your team mate.”

Able Can Do Change Team Feet Football Balls Speed Technique Passing Passings Mates Circus Great Football Team Mate

Author:Johan Cruijff

“Someone who has juggled the ball in the air during a game, after which four defenders of the opponent get the time to run back, that's the player people think is great. I say he has to go to a circus.”

People Thinking Running Games Change Four Player Air Football Balls Opponents Circus Defenders

Author:Johan Cruijff

“I always threw the ball in, because then if I got the ball back, I was the only player unmarked.”

Ifs Change Player Football Balls

Author:Johan Cruijff

“When you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball 3 minutes on average ... So, the most important thing is: what do you do during those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball. That is what determines wether you're a good player or not.”

Important Play Change Player Minutes Football Balls Important Things Average Determine Proven Great Football

Author:Johan Cruijff

“There is only one ball, so you need to have it.”

Needs Change Football Balls

Author:Johan Cruijff

“We must make sure their worst players get the ball the most. You'll get it back in no time.”

Change Player Worst Football Balls Ball Players

Author:Johan Cruijff

“If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don't have the ball, you must make it as small as possible.”

Ifs Bigs Change Fields Football Balls

Author:Johan Cruijff

“I find it terrible when talents are rejected based on computer stats. Based on the criteria at Ajax now I would have been rejected. When I was 15, I couldn't kick a ball 15 meters with my left and maybe 20 with my right. My qualities technique and vision, are not detectable by a computer.”

Has Beens Left Change Quality Vision Talent Football Terrible Computer Balls Technique Kicks Rejected Criteria Meter Great Football Ajax

Author:Johan Cruijff

“I felt sorry for the match ball - it came off the pitch crying.”

Felt Fans Media Cry Football Balls Sorry Soccer

Author:Johan Cruijff

“Without the ball, you can't win.”

Winning Balls Can't Win

Author:Johan Cruijff

About the Author

Born: April 25, 1947
Died: March 24, 2016
Known for: Soccer player
Quotes: 82

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