Johan Cruijff Quotes

Soccer is simple, but it is difficult to play simple.

It is better to fail with your own vision than to fail with another man's vision.

Players that aren't true leaders but try to be, always bash other players after a mistake. True leaders on the pitch already assume others will make mistakes.

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.

There’s only one moment in which you can arrive in time. If you’re not there, you’re either too early or too late.

Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.

Every disadvantage has its advantage.

I'm ex-player, ex-technical director, ex-coach, ex-manager, ex-honorary president. A nice list that once again shows that everything comes to an end.

The difference between right and wrong is often not more than five metres.

Why couldn't you beat a richer club? I've never seen a bag of money score a goal.

Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins.

YOU NEED BOTH QUALITY AND RESULTS. RESULTS WITHOUT QUALITY IS BORING; QUALITY WITHOUT RESULTS IS MEANINGLESS.

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

In a way I'm probably immortal.

Mourinho is a coach of titles, not football. Or rather, not a football coach if we understand the sport is a spectacle or entertainment for those who watch it, either at home or live in the stadium.

Before I make a mistake, I don't make that mistake.

In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.

In small space a player has to be capable of acting quickly. A good player who needs too much time can suddenly become a poor player.

Sometimes something's got to happen before something is going to happen.

Every advantage has its disadvantage.

When you're playing against a team that has two great central defenders, the best option is to play without a striker.

Choose the best player for every position, and you'll end up not with a strong XI, but with 11 strong 1's.

Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster.

You have got to shoot, otherwise you can't score.

Italians can't win the game against you, but you can lose the game against the Italians.

Footballers from the street are more important than trained coaches.

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

He has been outstanding. [Manuel] Neuer is an extraordinary goalkeeper, who would deserve to win it.

Football is simple but the hardest thing to do is play simple football.

Actually I never make a mistake, because it takes a huge effort for me to make a mistake.

There are very few players who know what to do when they're not marked. So sometimes you tell a player: that attacker is very good, but don't mark him.

If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better.

If you can't win, make sure you don't lose.

One trophy is good, but two are better. That way, when a hero wears his medals on his chest, at least his steps are level as he walks by.

Coincidence is logical.

The ball is an essential part of the game.

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

Italians can never win from you, but you can lose to them. (when asked about Ajax's chances in the 1995 Champs League final against AC Milan)

To win you have to score one more goal than your opponent

The most difficult thing about an easy match is to make a weak opponent play bad football.

I'm not religious. In Spain all 22 players make the sign of the cross before they enter the pitch. If it works all matches must therefore end in a draw.

It's all very simple: if you score one more than your opponent, you win.

Eric Cantona is a great player, but he's not as good as Ryan Giggs

What is speed? The sports press often confuses speed with insight. See, if I start running slightly earlier than someone else, I seem faster.

Italy cannot beat you but you can lose to Italy.

Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United.

Football is simple, you're either on time, or you're too late. If you're too late then you have to leave earlier.

Players today can only shoot with their laces. I could shoot with the inside, laces, and outside of both feet. In other words, I was six times better than today's players.

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

I look at Messi, and he makes me laugh. A beautiful footballer who is still like a kid. A world superstar, but still a kid. Innocent, you know. He just plays.