Jordi Cruyff facts for kids
Cruyff in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Johan Jordi Cruijff | ||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Indonesia (technical advisor) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1988 | Ajax | ||
| 1988–1992 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1994 | Barcelona B | 47 | (14) |
| 1994–1996 | Barcelona | 41 | (11) |
| 1996–2000 | Manchester United | 34 | (8) |
| 1999 | → Celta Vigo (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2000–2003 | Alavés | 94 | (8) |
| 2003–2004 | Espanyol | 30 | (3) |
| 2006–2008 | Metalurh Donetsk | 28 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Valletta | 17 | (10) |
| Total | 299 | (56) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996 | Netherlands | 9 | (1) |
| 1995–2004 | Catalonia | 9 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2018 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||
| 2018–2019 | Chongqing Dangdai Lifan | ||
| 2020 | Ecuador | ||
| 2020–2021 | Shenzhen FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Johan Jordi Cruijff (pronounced 'Kroyf') is a Dutch-Spanish football expert. He used to be a professional player and manager. Today, he works as a technical advisor for the Indonesia national team. He was also the sporting director at FC Barcelona.
Jordi is the son of the famous football legend Johan Cruyff. He played football from 1992 to 2010. During his career, he played for big clubs like Barcelona and Manchester United. He also played nine games for the Netherlands national team, including the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. In 1997, he won the Premier League title with Manchester United.
Jordi mostly played as an attacking midfielder, which means he helped score goals. He could also play as a second striker, another attacking role. Later in his career, he even played as a centre back (a defender). After starting strong with Barcelona and playing for his country at age 22, injuries made his time at Manchester United tough. He played only 36 league games in four years there. One of his best times was with Alavés, where he helped them reach the 2001 UEFA Cup Final. He also played for Celta Vigo, Espanyol, and finished his playing days with Valletta in Malta.
As a sporting director for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Jordi helped the club become very successful in Israeli football. They won league titles from 2012 to 2015. They also regularly played in big European competitions like the Europa League and Champions League.
Contents
Jordi Cruyff's Club Career
Playing for Barcelona
In 1992, Jordi Cruyff started playing for Barcelona B. This is the reserve team for FC Barcelona. He quickly became one of their top scorers. Two years later, in 1994, he joined the main Barcelona team. During a pre-season tour, he scored three goals in two different games!
On September 4, 1994, he played his first top-level league game in Spain. Later that year, he played against Manchester United in the Champions League. Barcelona won that game 4–0. Even though he wasn't a regular starter, Jordi was one of Barcelona's top scorers that season. He even scored a goal that helped Barcelona qualify for European competitions the next year.
He played his last game for Barcelona on May 19, 1996.
Playing for Manchester United
In August 1996, Jordi Cruyff moved to Manchester United in England. He signed a four-year contract. He made his first appearance on August 11, 1996, in a big 4–0 win. He then scored in his next two games, helping the team get draws.
He played regularly until November 1996, when he got a knee injury. Injuries were a big problem for Jordi during his time at Manchester United. He played in three games during the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League group stage. In January 1999, he went on loan to Celta Vigo in Spain. This meant he missed out on being part of Manchester United's famous "treble" win in May 1999, when they won three major trophies. He scored two goals in eight games for Celta Vigo before returning to United.
Jordi's contract with Manchester United ended on June 30, 2000. In four years, he played 57 games and scored eight goals for the club.
Back to La Liga
After leaving Manchester United, Jordi Cruyff returned to Spain. He joined Alavés for free. With Alavés, he reached the 2001 UEFA Cup Final against Liverpool. It was a very exciting game! Alavés was losing 3–1, but they made an amazing comeback. Jordi scored a goal in the 89th minute to make it 4–4. However, Liverpool won the cup with an own goal in extra time.
Jordi continued to play for Alavés until the club was moved down to a lower league in 2003. The next season, he joined Espanyol and played regularly for one year. He then decided to leave Espanyol.
Later Playing Career
After leaving Espanyol, Jordi trained with Bolton Wanderers but didn't pass a medical test. He then took a break from football. In 2006, he returned to play for two seasons in Ukraine with Metalurh Donetsk. There, he mostly played as a centre back (defender). Around this time, he also started working in the fashion business, helping with the Cruyff clothing brand.
In 2009, Jordi signed a three-year deal with Valletta in Malta. He was a player and also an assistant manager. He played his first game for Valletta in July 2009 in a European competition. He scored his first league goal in August 2009. Valletta won the MFA Trophy in his first season. Even though he played more defensively earlier in his career, Jordi took on a more attacking role with Valletta.
Jordi Cruyff's International Career
Jordi Cruyff had the choice to play for either Spain or the Netherlands at a young age. In 1996, he decided not to join the Spanish team for the Olympic Games. Instead, his good performances for Barcelona led the Netherlands coach, Guus Hiddink, to pick him for the Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 1996.
He played his first game for the national team on April 24, 1996, in a friendly match against Germany. He scored his only goal for the Netherlands on June 13, 1996, in a 2–0 win against Switzerland during Euro 96. Jordi was one of only a few Dutch players to be chosen for the national team without ever playing in the top Dutch league.
Jordi Cruyff as a Sports Director
AEK Larnaca
In 2010, Jordi Cruyff stopped playing professional football. He then joined AEK Larnaca in Cyprus as their director of football. This role involves overseeing the club's football operations, like signing players and coaches. He helped the team become stronger in Cypriot football. In his first season, the team finished fourth and qualified for the Europa League. In his second season, AEK Larnaca made history by becoming the first Cypriot team to reach the group stage of the Europa League.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
In April 2012, Jordi Cruyff became the sports director for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. He hired Óscar García as the new head coach. Under Jordi's leadership, Maccabi Tel Aviv became very successful. They won their first league championship in ten years, finishing 13 points ahead of their rivals. They also scored the most goals and let in the fewest goals in the league.
In the 2013–14 season, Jordi appointed Paulo Sousa as the new coach. The team continued to win, claiming another league title by a large margin. They also did well in the Europa League, reaching the round of 32.
The 2014–15 season was also successful. Maccabi Tel Aviv became the first Israeli team to win all three local trophies: the Israeli Premier League, the Israel State Cup, and the Toto Cup. In April 2015, Jordi signed a new two-year contract with the club.
In the 2015–16 season, Jordi hired Slaviša Jokanović as head coach. The team qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time in 11 years. They played against big teams like Chelsea and Porto.
Barcelona
On June 2, 2021, Jordi Cruyff was appointed as a sporting advisor for Barcelona.
Indonesia
On February 25, 2025, the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) announced that Jordi Cruyff was appointed as the new technical advisor for the Indonesia national football team.
Jordi Cruyff's Managerial Career
In the 2017–18 season, Jordi Cruyff became the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv. He led the team to win the Toto Cup. They also finished second in the league and qualified for European competitions for the sixth year in a row. At the end of that season, he decided to leave the club for new challenges.
On August 8, 2018, Jordi became the manager of Chinese Super League team Chongqing Dangdai Lifan. In 2019, he helped the club have their best start ever in the Super League. He decided not to renew his contract and left the club at the end of the season.
On January 3, 2020, Jordi Cruyff agreed to become the manager of the Ecuador national side. However, he resigned on July 23, 2020. This happened because of changes in the Ecuadorian Football Federation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador did not play any matches or have any training camps while he was in charge.
On August 14, 2020, Jordi was appointed as the manager of another Chinese Super League club, Shenzhen FC.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Barcelona
- Supercopa de España: 1994
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1996–97
- FA Charity Shield: 1996, 1997
As a Manager
Maccabi Tel Aviv
- Toto Cup: 2017–18
Images for kids
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Cruyff in 2009
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Cruyff with his father Johan and mother Danny Coster in 1977
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Cruyff (number 17) playing for the Netherlands against Scotland at Villa Park during Euro 96
See also
In Spanish: Jordi Cruyff para niños
