"The biggest reason I play football is to entertain the audience. Winning was not the only thing that mattered to me." (p. 151)
Johan Cruyff (1947-2016) transformed modern football as a player, coach, and administrator. He led Ajax in the Netherlands to eight league titles and three consecutive European Cup victories, and he ushered in a golden era at Barcelona as both a player and coach. He perfected the concept of 'total football,' a modern tactical approach emphasizing fluidity in attack and defense, and is regarded as a major influence on contemporary coaches like Pep Guardiola.
His autobiography, Johan Cruyff (written by Johan Cruyff, translated by Lee Seong-mo, Knowledge Factory), reads more like a treatise on organization, leadership, and education than a typical sports hero's memoir. It covers entertaining football, a culture of learning from failure, teamwork that supports one another, and the importance of placing the right talent in the right positions. His messages extend beyond football to all organizations.
For Cruyff, winning was a goal but not the entirety of the game. He envisioned a style of play that was technical, creative, and left fans wanting more. He constantly urged his players to think critically: create space when in possession and close gaps to apply pressure when out of it. The key was not just running a lot, but knowing where to run. He believed that football is a sport where understanding space and team movement takes precedence over physical fitness.
This philosophy later culminated in total football, where all players engage in both attacking and defending, and when one moves, all ten follow. He emphasized that creating the best combination of players who complement each other is more important than simply gathering eleven outstanding athletes. His belief that "football is a game played with the head" was realized through meticulous calculations of distance, spacing, and timing. A lover of numbers and mental calculations, he viewed football as an art of space and a sport of logic.
Cruyff's football philosophy also translated into his approach to life. He valued maintaining a clean dressing room, personally polishing his boots, and managing his belongings. He believed one must be a good person before becoming a good player. He learned from coach Jack Reynolds not to fear mistakes, from coach Rinus Michels about player protection and discipline, and from baseball, the importance of reading the game as a whole. He stated, "My life has always been a process of doing better and improving," accepting even failures as assets for growth.
Notably, his role as a leader and administrator was impressive. Even after becoming a coach, he did not assume he knew everything. He brought in specialists like goalkeeper coaches and emphasized that "a leader is someone who places the right person in the right position." After retiring, he pushed for reforms at Ajax, aiming to change the structure where administrators without football experience dominated decision-making, advocating for a system where a committee of former players participated in decisions.
Reading Cruyff's autobiography naturally brings to mind the current state of Korean football. Recently, Korean football has disappointed fans with underwhelming performances in the World Cup and ongoing administrative controversies. Cruyff consistently emphasized the importance of appointing the most suitable individuals and that those who understand the field should determine the direction of football.
Of course, Cruyff is not the only answer. However, he demonstrated through his football career that tactics without philosophy cannot endure, and strong teams cannot exist without a system. One of Cruyff's statements lingers: "Winning is not everything. What matters more is how you win." (p. 106)
* This article has been translated by AI.
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