Johan Cruyff has gone from Barcelona, but he will never be forgotten.
As a player, Cruyff’s genius served as a shining light at the Nou Camp by restoring the team to Europe’s elite at a time when the Catalans had long been dominated – culturally and politically as well as in sporting terms – by their eternal enemies Real Madrid.
As coach, he continued to work his magic by inspiring the ‘Dream Team’ of Stoichkov, Romario, Laudrup and co. to four consecutive La Liga titles, as well as turning them into European champions for the first time in the club’s history.
But Cruyff’s most significant contribution to FC Barcelona was none of those things. Rather, his greatest gift was the playing philosophy he laid down during his managerial spell which has remained intact to this day, 20 years after his departure.
When Cruyff returned to the Nou Camp in 1988, he didn’t just set out to build a team – he built an entire club. And he did so from the bottom up, revolutionising a youth development system, the now world-renowned ‘La Masia’, which bore fruit many years after his departure by producing players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets.
And one of those men now gives reason to believe that Cruyff’s untimely passing does not mean the end of his Barcelona legacy.
Xavi joined the club’s youth system at the age of 11, in 1991 – the year before Cruyff led Barca to that first European Cup triumph, beating Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley with a free-kick from Ronald Koeman.
Heaven has a new playmaker... R.I.P. Football Genius Johan #Cruyff pic.twitter.com/mxTFphiYXB
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) March 24, 2016
That happy circumstance of timing placed him perfectly among the very first group of young players who were able to benefit from the methods instilled by Cruyff and, from that moment onwards, the little midfielder immersed himself in Cruyff ’s footballing philosophy: pass, move, look and, above all, think.
During his subsequent glorious 17-year career in Blaugrana colours, Xavi served as the motor for Barca’s successes by embodying everything that Cruyff stood for and bringing to life the lessons he had learned in La Masia – led, of course, by the management of two more of the Dutchman’s disciples, Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola.
He did the same on the international stage, providing the magnificent Spanish team with its heart and soul en route to an unprecedented three consecutive major tournament triumphs at Euros 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup of 2010.
Last summer, Xavi made a tearful departure from Catalunya to finish his playing career in Qatar, where he is enjoying an eye-opening, unique and, it must be said, highly lucrative alternative experience, completely different to his former life in Europe.
But he will be back. If any player was born to become a manager it is Xavi, and Barca insiders will confidently assert without a moment’s hesitation that Xavi, in due course, will return to the Nou Camp as head coach.
When he does, he will become the latest in a long line of Cruyffistas who see their main task as implementing the philosophy they learned from the Dutch master.
As Guardiola once commented: “Cruyff built the cathedral. Our job is to maintain and renovate it.”
The cathedral’s current caretaker, following in the footsteps of Rijkaard and Guardiola, is Luis Enrique. The next – depending upon the timing of Enrique’s departure – will almost certainly be Xavi Hernandez, and he can be trusted to be nothing but diligent in his application of Johan Cruyff’s principles.
The king is dead, but his legacy will continue.
