Jordi Cruyff
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Jordi Cruijff | ||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Valletta (player-assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1988 | Ajax | ||
| 1988–1992 | FC Barcelona | ||
| Senior career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Apps (Gls)2 | |
| 1992–1995 | FC Barcelona B | 51 (16) | |
| 1994–1996 | FC Barcelona | 41 (11) | |
| 1996–2000 | Manchester United | 34 (8) | |
| 1999 | → Celta Vigo (loan) | 8 (1) | |
| 2000–2003 | Alavés | 94 (7) | |
| 2003–2004 | Espanyol | 30 (3) | |
| 2006–2008 | Metalurh Donetsk | 28 (0) | |
| 2009– | Valletta | 0 (0) | |
| National team3 | |||
| 1995–2004 | Catalonia | 9 (2) | |
| 1996 | Netherlands | 9 (1) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009– | Valletta (assistant) | ||
| 1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:00, 4 June 2009 (UTC). 2 Appearances (Goals) 3 National team caps and goals correct as of 18:00, 4 June 2009 (UTC). |
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Johan Jordi Cruyff (born 9 February 1974 in Amsterdam) is a professional footballer currently playing for Valletta F.C. in the Maltese Premier League, where he also acts as the side's assistant manager.
Mainly an attacking midfielder, he could also appear as a second striker, and is the son of legendary Johan Cruyff.
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[edit] Early life
Although born in Amsterdam, Cruyff spent his early life in Catalonia where his father Johan was playing for FC Barcelona. He was allegedly named after Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia.[citation needed]In 1981, the Cruyff family returned to the Netherlands, where the player was introduced by his father in AFC 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.
[edit] Club career
[edit] FC Barcelona
In 1992, Jordi made his debut for FC Barcelona B in the second division, and two years later joined the senior team during a pre-season tour in the Netherlands, where he scored hat-tricks against FC Groningen and De Graafschap. On 4 September 1994, his father gave him his top flight debut in, a 2-1 defeat at Sporting de Gijón. On 2 November, he played against Manchester United in the Champions League, and Jordi set up the first goal for Hristo Stoichkov, as Barcelona won 4-0.
However, despite a positive start, Jordi’s time at Barcelona effectively came to an end when his father was sacked by Josep Lluís Núñez. On May 19, 1996, he played his last game for the club against Celta de Vigo, at the Camp Nou.
[edit] Manchester United
In August 1996, Jordi signed with Manchester United for a fee of £1.4 million. He made his club debut on August 17, in a 3-0 win over Wimbledon F.C., 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. Despite missing much of the second half of the season due to a knee injury, he returned towards the end to help United clinch the Premiership title.
An ankle injury in 1998 limited the amount of appearances he made and saw him lose his place in the team. In January 1999, he returned to Spain, loaned to Celta and as a result missed out on Manchester United completing the treble. Cruyff rejoined United for 1999-2000, and helped them win the league once again. However, he failed to establish himself as a first team regular and played his final game for the club on May 14, 2000. Despite being a member of the squad for three Premier League title wins, Cruyff only garnered one winners medal, in 1996-97, due to his limited appearances at the club.
[edit] Later years
On leaving United, Jordi moved once again to Spain, and signed with Deportivo Alavés. With the Basque, he reached the 2001 UEFA Cup Final, an epic match against Liverpool: despite being 2-0 and then 3-1 down, Alavés embarked on a spirited comeback and Jordi’s goal in the 89th minute tied the game at 4-4. However, an own goal in extra time saw Liverpool lift the cup.
Jordi continued to play for Alavés until they were relegated at the end of 2002-03. The following season he joined RCD 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 FC Metalurh Donetsk, where he played mainly as a central defender.[1]and, at the same time, entered the fashion business, helping develop the Cruyff clothing brand.[2]
[edit] Valletta
In the summer of 2009, Cruyff signed a three-year deal as assistant-manager of Maltese side Valletta F.C., aiding first coach Ton Kaanen, while also being a player in his first season.
[edit] International career
Cruyff's performances for Barcelona persuaded coach Guus Hiddink to include him in the Netherlands team for Euro 96; subsequently, 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 June 13, in a 2-0 win against Switzerland at Villa Park, and would be one of only five Dutch footballers to be selected for the Dutch national team while never having played in the country's topflight, the other capped players being Jerrel Hasselbaink, Rob Reekers, Willi Lippens and Wim Hofkens.
Additional, Cruyff also played for the unofficial Catalan XI, scoring in his debut, a 5-2 win over Barcelona at the Nou Estadi de Tarragona, on June 25, 1995. He also scored in a 5-0 win over Lithuania on 22 December 2000, at the Camp Nou. Altogether, Jordi played nine times for the side, including two games against Brazil in 2002 and 2004.
[edit] Honours
- FC Barcelona:
- Spanish Supercup: 1995
- Manchester United:
- English League: 1996-97, 1999-00
- Intercontinental Cup: 1999
- English Supercup: 1996, 1997
- Deportivo Alavés:
- UEFA Cup: Runner-Up 2000-01
[edit] Sources
- Barça: A People’s Passion (1998), Jimmy Burns.[3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- BDFutbol profile
- Jordi Cruyff career stats at Soccerbase
- SportingHeroes profile
- National team data (Dutch)
- Jordi Cruyff profile and stats at Wereld van Oranje (Dutch)
- Jordi Cruyff FIFA competition record
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