The Long Road to Johan Cruyff's Signing at FC Barcelona

SPORT

FC Barcelona had been interested in Johan Cruyff from the late 1960s. Vic Buckingham, the English coach at Camp Nou at the time, and the very man who had handed Cruyff his debut at Ajax when he was only 17, recommended him as a potential signing. However, in that era Spanish football had a ban on foreign imports.

All the same, president Agustí Montal and his board approached the Dutch superstar, who was clearly very interested in somehow making the move to the Catalan capital. According to a report by Fcbarcelona.com, plans were made to ease the restrictions on foreign footballers in Spanish football. Barça tried to close a deal by introducing a clause that specified that everything would depend on the decision of the National Sports Delegation.

Ambiguities in the Law

In early 1970, the club signed a private agreement with Ajax and Cruyff, which was due to expire on June 30 of that same year. However, the Spanish clubs unexpectedly voted to continue the ban on foreign imports. The situation was resolved, to a large extent, thanks to the ambiguities of the law that allowed Liga clubs to sign South American players as long as they were children of Spanish parents and had not won international caps for their countries. This loophole led to the signing of 60 “native” players, many of them with false documentation.

In May 1973, the Spanish football federation authorized the hiring of foreign footballers, and Cruyff was finally free to come to FC Barcelona. However, now the club had to renegotiate with Ajax, who had become aware of Cruyff’s value due to his success with Ajax and interest from other major clubs in Europe.

Ajax’s Reluctance to Sell

FC Barcelona president Agustí Montal and CEO Armand Carabén traveled to Amsterdam to try to sign Cruyff for the second time. But Ajax president Jaap Van Praag made it clear that he wasn’t interested in selling. Barça then turned their attention to Bayern striker Gerd Müller, but the German federation refused to allow their players to leave before the 1974 World Cup. Meanwhile, Cruyff was pressuring Ajax to let him go to Barcelona.

Finally, after a meeting in La Coruña, Ajax president Van Praag realized he had no option but to sell. The negotiations with FC Barcelona were arduous, with Van Praag initially demanding three million dollars before settling on two million dollars. Johan Cruyff’s official debut in a Barça shirt would still have to wait for two and a half months, once his signing period had closed, on August 13.

A New Era for FC Barcelona

Finally, on October 28, 1973, Johan Cruyff made his official debut for FC Barcelona against Granada. This signing marked a turning point in Barça’s history and laid the foundation for years of success. Cruyff’s impact on the team and the club’s style of play was transformative, leading to numerous trophies and solidifying his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Key Takeaway FC Barcelona had a long and challenging journey to sign Johan Cruyff. Spanish football had a ban on foreign imports at the time. Barça tried to navigate around the restrictions by introducing a clause that depended on the decision of the National Sports Delegation. Ambiguities in the law allowed Liga clubs to sign “native” South American players. Ajax initially refused to sell Cruyff, but eventually agreed to a transfer. Cruyff made his official Barça debut on October 28, 1973.

Credit: fcbarcelona.com

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