Cruyff slams 'anti-football'

Dutch legend highly critical of final display

By James Riach   Last updated: 12th July 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Cruyff slams 'anti-football'

Cruyff: Slams performance

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Holland legend Johan Cruyff has slammed the Dutch team for playing 'anti-football' in the World Cup final.

Spain emerged victorious in Soccer City on Sunday following a 1-0 win after extra time as Andres Iniesta scored the crucial goal to earn their first ever world title.

Cruyff was part of the Holland team that was famed for playing 'Total Football' in the 1970s, but the 63-year-old was highly critical of the 'vulgar' display at the weekend.

The Oranje had a gameplan to unsettle Spain with tough tackles but Bert van Marwijk's men were lucky not to have more than one player sent off during the 120 minutes.

"Thursday they asked me from Holland, 'Can we play like Inter? Can we stop Spain in the same way (Jose) Mourinho eliminated Barca?'" Cruyff told El Periodico, in reference to the way Inter Milan defended their way to a UEFA Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona.

"I said no, no way at all. I said no, not because I hate this style - I said no because I thought that my country wouldn't dare to and would never renounce their style. I said no because, without having great players like those of the past, the team has its own style.

"I was wrong. Of course I'm not hanging all 11 of them by the same rope, but almost. They didn't want the ball.

"And regrettably, sadly, they played very dirty. So much so that they should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two (such) ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage.

"It hurts me that I was wrong in my disagreement that instead Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title.

Ugly

"This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style, yes it served the Dutch to unsettle Spain. If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they ended up losing.

"They were playing anti-football."

Holland were openly critical of referee Howard Webb after the Englishman dished out 14 yellow cards.

Cruyff was also unhappy with Webb's performance but believes he could have been even harsher with his decisions.

He added: "When we say, often, that we do not like talking about referees, it is true and, above all, because only refereeing like that last night by the English Howard Webb can create in us a state of such indignation that then yes, it is necessary to comment.

"Because you can referee wrong, make a mistake, but what you cannot do is create your own sense of justice and, even worse, invent a very personal application of the rules.

"Not only did he not send off two Dutchmen (including Arjen Robben who deserved the second yellow) but he also looked the other way at times when he should have involved himself.

"A World Cup final deserves great refereeing and, above all, deserves a referee who dares to do everything it means to be a judge."

Comments (8)

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Jonny Mullins (Liverpool fan) says...

I'm pretty bored of hearing Cruyff complaining about somebody's style of football. It's all very well playing good football but if you can't win anything then what's the point? Holland didn't win in 1974 did they! I know they lost last night but if they had gone out to play good football last night and attack they would have been completely and utterly destroyed by Spain. There is no sense in his comments.

Posted 21:14 12th July 2010

Kenneth Akali (Arsenal fan) says...

I agree with Cryuff, Italian football style is different. The Dutch should have maintained thier pattern which i think is closer to and would have better matched the Spanish. Mourinho did not start that at Inter Milan. Italians (clubs and country) play more defensively, with bursts of counter-attack periodically, but the Germans combine both better. Thank you.

Posted 20:48 12th July 2010

Mick Ferrie (Arsenal fan) says...

I totally agree with Cruyff- the dutch team spoiled a great occasion and should have been down to nine men.I dont blame the referee - he was caught in a very difficult situation trying not to spoil the greatest soccer show on earth . At least the best team won.Unfortunately we see the same tactics applied every week in the premier league as inferior teams try to maim players in the Arsenal team- unfortunately they get away with it far too often. mick

Posted 20:45 12th July 2010

Simon Jones (Barnsley fan) says...

True Words

Posted 20:18 12th July 2010

Kei Teay (Fulham fan) says...

Honestly, if I were in van Marwijk's shoes, I would have done the same thing. I wonder if Cruijff would have rather matched the Spaniards pass for pass and end up losing 3-0 or 4-0, or play it much more conservatively but still have a shot at winning in the very end?

Posted 20:04 12th July 2010

Ben Egbeku (Arsenal fan) says...

Cruyff, apart from your football exploits, your comments here make you a legend. We should stop this blind support of our national teams like the English do. Before and during the game yesterday, Spain was clearly the better team. It would have been the greatest football injustice to see Holland win the world cup.

Posted 19:54 12th July 2010

Ivan Wellgreen (Portsmouth fan) says...

I was proud of the way Howard Webb handled this game. Yes he made one mistake,but when you got teams not interested in playing the game,then the Spainish & the dirty Dutch have only themselves to blame. Not the Referee

Posted 19:14 12th July 2010

Tony Bowling (Manchester United fan) says...

I thought Howard Webb did a good job. Yes he could have reduced Holland down to 9 men early on but hundreds of millions of viewers would then have been watching a one sided non-event. Then you have Robben saying Webb was not strong enough. I'm sorry but that makes Robben (and Kuyt) not only terrible losers but blind fools.

Posted 18:35 12th July 2010
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