Cruyff: Ajax needs harmony

JC’s column in De Telegraaf:

I will explain once more why I decided to give the Ajax assignment back. I was asked to help reorganize the technical organization of Ajax. I want to emphasize that there is only a “business” disagreement between the future technical staff and myself. I myself have pleaded to keep some peace and quiet at the club and my leaving is only going to help that. No one got fired, there is no row and nothing escalated.

If I would have gone through with my plans, I would have taken risks. And no one would really benefit from that. My motives are simple. I want Ajax to be led by people who know what they’re doing. Because they are the ones who need to lead. Those people weren’t there when I talked to them. Now, the people who are in charge have assessed my plans and decided that they don’t want to pursue these. That’s fine. That’s their call. I can now push my plans through their throats, but it doesn’t work that way.

Marco and his staff want to do it their way. And that’s their prerogative. And that means that I will take my vision an step aside.

What annoys me is that people think I will go back to playing golf. I know better. In my third phase in my career – after playing and coaching – and I am fully committed to integrating sports in society. My foundation and the JC Academy are tangible examples of how I do that. My Cruyff Courts concept helped diminish youth crime, integration and child obesity issues and countries like Brazil and Argentina have requested educational programs to create better sports management. With these activities, I’m not sitting on a hill shouting, I am fully involved in the midst of it.