Football is simple but the hardest thing to do is play simple football.
Johan CruijffRead
Choose the best player for every position, and you'll end up not with a strong XI, but with 11 strong 1's.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Prioritize individual talent over teamwork, and despite having strong players, the overall effectiveness will be diminished.
Johan Cruijff's quote emphasizes the importance of teamwork and cohesion in achieving success. While selecting the best individual players is crucial, the real strength lies in how they work together as a unit rather than just relying on individual talents. A well-coordinated team can often outperform a collection of standout players who do not collaborate effectively.
Themes
TeamworkLeadershipSuccessCollaborationSports
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting about project roles, this quote could be shared to emphasize collaboration.
More from Johan Cruijff
All quotes →Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.
Johan CruijffRead
If you have the ball, you must make the field as big as possible, and if you don't have the ball, you must make it as small as possible.
Johan CruijffRead
Someone who has juggled the ball in the air during a game, after which four defenders of the opponent get the time to run back, that's the player people think is great. I say he has to go to a circus.
Johan CruijffRead
Technique is not being able to juggle a ball 1000 times. Anyone can do that by practicing. Then you can work in the circus. Technique is passing the ball with one touch, with the right speed, at the right foot of your team mate.
Johan CruijffRead
I always threw the ball in, because then if I got the ball back, I was the only player unmarked.
Johan CruijffRead
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