Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has said he believes the impending arrival of Luis Suarez means the club’s forward line will consist of players who are too individualistic.
The Dutchman, renowned for his spells as both a player and a coach at the Camp Nou, said he believed the move to bring Suarez from Liverpool to link up with Neymar and Lionel Messi would be to the detriment of Barca’s team play.
Cruyff wrote in his column for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: “I can’t see how Barca intend to continue playing the same way, with a keen focus on team play, if Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are in the side.
“The three of them are too individual. In signing Suarez, the club are showing a preference for individual genius over a team that plays great football.”
He said the new-look front three would make Barcelona “good for action, but not a good footballing team as a whole.”
He also warned: “The style of play developed under Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola is being wiped out.”
Cruyff also hit out at what he said was negative football from some nations at the World Cup, but hailed winners Germany for the way they played.
“Countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Netherlands have enough players be able to do it differently,” he said. “Purely for playing football, I’m happy with Germany.”
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