Jordi Cruyff rejoined Barcelona in a crucial upstairs role on September first. The Dutchman, born in Barcelona and the son of the legendary Johan Cruyff, is working in tandem with Mateu Alemany, Joan Laporta and Xavi Hernandez to rebuild Barcelona.
It’s not an easy task but they’re making fine progress. Xavi has built a team that’s playing attractive but disciplined football, something underpinned by the stunning, controlled 4-0 evisceration of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
There’s a long way to go before the Blaugrana regain their place amongst the true elite of European football, of course, but they’re getting their bit by bit. Barcelona are currently third in La Liga, chasing down Sevilla in second place, and will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final of the Europa League.
In an exclusive interview with Sid Lowe of The Guardian, Cruyff opened up on life back at Camp Nou and the process of rebuilding Barcelona; the club his father will forever be connected with.
Cruyff explained that, although the January transfer market is difficult to operate, Barcelona made a conscious policy of signing Premier League players. This was evidenced in their acquisitions of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore and Ferran Torres.
“The winter market is difficult because clubs aren’t going to loan you a regular starter,” Cruyff said. “You have players who are not playing so much but the Premier League is such a high tempo, more physically intense, that the player who has been there a few years has acquired certain habits, conditions. It’s not that we wouldn’t have looked at a good player from another league, but it was safer from England because you know they have the intensity built in. It wasn’t the key but it was a useful bonus.”
