Ex-Barça: Johan Cruijff

A meeting yesterday evening brought a radical change to the organization of Dutch top club Ajax Amsterdam. The whole structure of the club will change and the current board will resign before the end of the season, once the new structure will be in place. Former Ajax player and manager Johan Cruijff (60) was asked to shape the new sports policy. Cruijff has accepted the offer. Ajax is currently second in the Dutch league, nine point behind leader PSV Eindhoven.

Johan Cruijff played for Barcelona from 1973 to 1978. In his first season he helped the club win the first league title since 1960. In 1988 Cruijff returned to Barcelona as manager. He was the architect of the so called "Dream Team" that won four consecutive league titles between 1991 and 1994 and the club’s first Champions League in 1992. Cruijff left Barcelona in 1996 but he always stayed an influential figure in the background.

Does Lampard wear the breeches?

Italian television station Italia I claims that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29) is still considering leaving Chelsea at the end of this season. The player is quoted as saying: “Going to another country, getting to know another language and culture, would certainly make me a better person.”

Lampard, who still didn’t sign a renewal with his current club and who due to a new ruling could leave Chelsea for some 7-8 million euro, would be close to make a decision about his future, with Barcelona and Juventus being named as the most likely destinations for the English international. Lampard’s fiancé and the mother of his two children, Catalan ex-model Elen Rives, would be wanting to leave London and return to her home ground.

Cruijff on Mourinho, Blanc and Valverde

In an interview with the Catalan television station TV3, Barcelona legend Johan Cruijff gave this weekend his opinion about the manager debate.

Cruijff made clear he did not veto or recommend former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45), like has been rumoured in several media. He said no one has asked him, nor did he talk to anyone about the Portuguese, denying at the same time he's the technical advisor in the background: "If I talk to Joan Laporta two or three times a year about football, then that's would be a lot."

Because he didn't yet see Bordeaux playing, Cruijf said he couldn't pass a judgement on Laurent Blanc (42). The Dutchman did however have words of praise for Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde (44), who was also linked with Barcelona earlier this season: "He's doing a great job. I like to watch his team and I'm happy managers like him or Rijkaard try to make people enjoy."


(Cruijff's opinion on Rijkaard and Van Basten: see yesterday post)

Alonso summer target

British tabloid The Daily Star claims that Barcelona will make a bid for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso (26) next summer. Also because of injuries, Alonso has less playing time this season and since Liverpool has similar players in the squad, they would be willing to let him go. Barcelona would prepare an offer of 13,2 million euro for the Spanish international.

No spending limits

During the presentation of the economic results of the first half of the season last week, Barcelona vice president Ferran Soriano said that the financial situation will allow the club to bring in the players that are asked for by the tecnical staff. The board will nevertheless act in a reasonable way: "There is no transfer budget nor a limit, except that set by common sense."