Van Marwijk: Cruyff better than Messi and Maradona, all Spanish coaches influenced by his philosophy

Former Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk praised the football legacy of legend Johan Cruyff, stating that he is still the best in the history of football in his view. He emphasized that Cruyff's influence transcended the borders of the Netherlands, leaving a clear mark on the Spanish coaching school.

Bert van Marwijk stated in a column for the Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf" that Cruyff surpasses many football legends in terms of integration, despite acknowledging the significant value of Argentinians Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona. He added: "Messi and Maradona and several other players were also great, but Cruyff was more complete than all those greats in many aspects, even when he later became a coach."

The Dutch coach explained that Cruyff had exceptional abilities that allowed him to play in various positions, noting that he could occupy almost any position on the pitch, and he was even skilled at goalkeeping, highlighting his diverse footballing capabilities.

Bert van Marwijk has confirmed that Johan Cruyff had the most significant impact on changing Spanish football, stating: "He is specifically the one who changed football in Spain." He then pointed out that several of the top Spanish coaches were influenced by his philosophy, including Xavi Hernández and Pep Guardiola.

He added: "Ask Xavi, and ask Guardiola, they were all influenced by Cruyff. That is why Spanish football looks very similar to Dutch football," considering that the closeness between the two schools is primarily due to the ideas that Cruyff planted in FC Barcelona and Spanish football.

Van Marwijk stated that what Cruyff presented in the Netherlands and then at FC Barcelona represents the foundation of what we see today in football, pointing out that Guardiola's experience in Spain, Germany, and England provides the best example of the wide impact of Cruyff's philosophy, after the Spanish coach succeeded in achieving success by applying his mentor's football ideas across various leagues.