FOOTY FAIR

10 Questions With a Pro - Jordi Cruyff

2015-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

This week we got to chat with Sports Director of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv Jordi Cruyff. Aside from being the son of Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff, Jordi himsef played for clubs such as Barcelona, Manchester United and the Dutch national football team before switching the path of his football career into management.

FootyFair: During your football playing career you have played alongside numerous world-famous footballers. Which one teammate impressed you the most on and off the field?
Jordi Cruyff: Eric Cantona! Hard man image on the pitch, super social person off the pitch.

FF: You are now in Israel with Maccabi Tel-Aviv as a Sport Director. What was your first impression of Ligat Winner (Israeli Premier League)? Has your impression of the league changed since?
JC: I believed then and still believe now that tactically the league can improve, because most players have good technical skills.

FF: Did you have any rituals or superstitions in your playing days?
JC: I suppose that if you have good results/performances in a short period of time you try do similar things before the games in hopes the success continues.

FF: If you could dress for a club you have never played for, which would it be?

JC: I would have liked the experience of playing in Turkey because of the passion they have for the game.

FF: You are a Dutch international, but spent most of your playing career in Spain. Were you a bit torn when Spain and Netherlands played in the 2010 World Cup final? Or did you have a clear favorite?
JC: I sympathies with Holland in sports even though my mentality is more Spanish. But anyway I was proud that both made the final!

FF: What were your personal favorite moments in your playing career?
JC: 1. UEFA cup final with Alaves in 2001. 2. Scoring a goal in EURO 96 with Holland and 3. My first goal with FC Barcelona.

FF: If you were never to become a footballer, what job would you most likely have right now?
JC: Something in business, probably import/export.

FF: You have had success after your playing days, especially with Maccabi Tel-Aviv achieving two league titles for the club after a decade without one. What would be your next “dream” step?
JC: Continue to win and improve all the time, only then you can achieve the next dream step.

FF: You have played internationally with both Holland and non FIFA or UEFA affiliate Catalonia. What was different about putting on the Catalan shirt? Was there a different sense of respect and pride?
JC: Yes, I feel Catalan, my name is a VERY Catalan name. It's my way to show appreciation for the way I have always been treated there.

FF: Do you follow any sport other than football? If yes, who is your favorite team or athlete in that sport?
JC: I like basketball, especially NBA games where Spanish and mainly Catalans participate in.

We thank Jordi Cruyff for taking the time to answer our questions here at FootyFair.com and wish him all the best in football and beyond.

Weekend Recap - Tel Aviv Derby Gets Wild, Referee Abandons Match

2014-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Tel Aviv Derby is always a heated affair and creates for both a tense and exciting day in the calendar of the Israeli Premier League. This season's first league meeting between the two on Monday eve at Bloomfield Stadium created a few more sparks than usual, the conclusion of which was the abandonment of the match before the teams even managed to play a full half.

Eran Zahavi (left) was attacked by an Hapoel Tel Aviv supporter

At around the 32nd minute of the first half an Hapoel Tel Aviv supporter ran onto the pitch and attacked Maccabi footballer Eran Zahavi. Zahavi who had previously played for the red outfit of this bitter rivalry scored from the spots moments earlier to draw the match level at 1-1 and seemed to taunt the Hapoel supporters in celebration of his goal. One shirtless fan was not too pleased and decided to show his displeasure by attacking Zahavi, which seemed to be too easy to do as the security did not take him away before he had enough time to attempt two kicks at the Maccabi player.

Hapoel Tel Aviv was Zahavi's first professional club

To the surprise of many, Zahavi was sent off for trying to protect himself and that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back, as Maccabi Tel Aviv Director of Sports and former Manchester United and Barcelona player Jordi Cruyff seemed to encourage his club to leave the field of play in protest. When Hapoel Manager and former West Ham, Celtic, Manchester City as well as Maccabi Tel Aviv footballer Eyal Berkovic was trying to convince Cruyff to keep his squad on the pitch all hell broke loose.

Supporters from both ends of the rivalry spilled onto the pitch, attacking players and police officers. One officer seemed to have been assaulted by a fan as he fell to the ground. Both teams left the pitch and the match was officially abandoned.

Eran Zahavi spent two seasons with Palermo in Italy before joining Maccabi Tel Aviv to the dismay of Hapoel supporters

Eyal Berkovic was later quoted saying "This was not a game of football, it was war... I'm stunned and ashamed to be involved in football on a day like today. Both clubs and both sets of supporters must be severely punished for what happened here".

It is not yet clear whether either of the clubs will be punished and what will be the faith of this particular match.

5 Matches to Watch This Weekend

2014-10-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

The international brake is now behind us and we are shifting our attention back to all of the fine domestic competition around the world. This week we suggest five matches to watch, all of which are within the UEFA bracket of leagues. Here are some fixtures that are promising to be very entertaining, with action from Israel, Serbia, Portugal, England and one huge match from Turkey.

Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Maccabi Haifa (Israel - Monday, October 20)

Two of the most successful clubs in Israel's football history and two big rivals Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv lock horns this weekend. Defending champions Tel Aviv will look to bounce back after a shock 3-2 loss to Hapoel Beer Sheva in their last match.

Partizan Beograd vs. Red Star Beograd (Serbia - Saturday, October 18)

The big derby of Belgrade is on display this weekend as Partizan hosts Red Star. This one is always a heated affair and on Saturday the supporters of both clubs will direct their attention domestically, rather than on the visiting fans from Albania. If not for the quality of football, this one is a must watch at least for the action in the stands.

FC Porto vs. Sporting CP (Portuguese Cup - Saturday, October 18)

Early in Portuguese Cup competition most of the top tier clubs have drawn much weaker opposition. But Porto and Sporting were not as lucky, drawing each other in what will be another chapter in this rivalry.

Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur (EPL - Saturday, October 18)

With Chelsea's fine form to start the year defending champions City are already playing catch-up with the league leaders. Tottenham started the year well, but a few mediocre results pushed them back into sixth spot and the Spurs are now facing a big test in Manchester.

Galatasaray vs. Fenerbahce (Turkey - Saturday, October 18)

One of the biggest derbies in the world kicks-off on Saturday in Istanbul and this one almost never disappoints. Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are sitting 3rd and 4th respectively and this match may prove crucial as they are trying to catch up to Besiktas who are in first place just one point ahead of these two bitter rivals.

Tel Aviv Derby - Football Rivalries - Hapoel vs Maccabi

2014-07-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

It may seem "small-time" to football enthusiasts outside of Israel, but the Tel-Aviv derby between Hapoel and Maccabi is a very heated one, and one I have attended in the past.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is the most successful domestic side in Israel with 20 league titles won in the club's history, while Hapoel is not too far behind with 13 of their own. The rivalry between the two sides dates back to the 1930's when the two sides met for the first time in league play in 1931.

Maccabi, a name associated more with the middle-class status compared to "Hapoel", a worker class distinction for the Israeli population with the word "hapoel" meaning "worker", having more of a blue-collar supporter base.

Overall Maccabi has enjoyed a bit more success both in league titles and meetings between the two associations. And while the rivalry stretches further than just football, in basketball Maccabi has been in the elite of Israel's league and European competition, Hapoel is known best for its football program and its incredible European run in the 2001-01 UEFA Cup season in which they managed to defeat Lokomotiv Moscow, Chelsea and Parma, before losing in the quarter-finals to AC Milan in a close margin 2-1 on aggregate.

Supporter clashes between the two clubs are not uncommon. Fans of the two sides often engage in disputes inside and outside of the stadium both on match-days and otherwise.

Hapoel Tel-Aviv's home ground is the 14,000+ Bloomfield Stadium, which the "Red Devils" of Israel have occupied as their home since 1962. And while Maccabi has played their home matches in that same field earlier in their club's history, they had a ground of their own for a few decades. But in 2000 it was decided that Maccabi Tel-Aviv would return to Bloomfield stadium and have it as their home-field venue; a decision that likely sparked an even higher degree of hate between the two rival clubs.

When the derby takes place in Bloomfield, sections 4 and 5 are occupied by the Hapoel Ultras, while on the opposite side sections 10 and 11 are reserved for the Maccabi fans.

Some notable figures in the derby include: Ghanaian footballer John Paintsil who has played for both clubs and waved an Israeli flag after scoring a goal during the 2006 World Cup, Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama who has also played for both clubs but spent 4 years with Hapoel, compared to the one loan season with their rivals, Welsh international striker who had spent time with Maccabi and of course former Chelsea FC manager Avram Grant who had coached Maccabi on two occasions. The son of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, Jordi, is currently the sporting director at Maccabi Tel-Aviv.