Oscar Garcia Junyent has bid Johan Cruyff goodbye with an emotional letter. The friend and student of Cruyff, a former Barcelona player and the current Red Bull Salzburg coach, wrote out 14 'thanks' for the Dutchman. This is what he put:
I became a coach for you. I was sure that what you taught me had to be continued and not just stay with me. I was precisely there, training, when I learned that you had physically left this life. I say physically because you will never go, you geniuses never leave. Your legend is so great that everything written will be short, so I'll let others with better words do it - I will limit mine to a few thanks.
1. Thanks for bringing this style and philosophy of understanding the game to our club.
2. Thanks for making me love this sport more.
3. Thanks for every training session or lesson.
4. Thanks for creating top level coaches.
5. Thanks for making me understand that football isn't just for playing, you have to understand it.
6. Thanks for believing in me as a football and giving me my debut at the team of my dreams.
7. Thanks for doing the same with my brother Roger.
8. Thanks for deciding that it was he who was the last Ajax player to wear your No 14 shirt before retiring it.
9. Thanks for all the davice you have given me that helps me become a better coach every day.
10. Thanks for so many good moments like "Figo en Punta".
11. Thanks for choosing me to accompany you with the Catalan national team.
12. Thanks for believing in me as a coach and in my aptitudes.
13. Thanks for giving into your son when you wanted to train Mexico and Jordi wanted to take me to Tel Aviv.
14. Thanks for everything you do with your Foundation which helps so many people.
I could go several days thanking you but it seemed appropriate to do it 14 times.
Allow me, too, to do so to the people you love the most. I'm sure that the person who has influenced you most was your wife. To her, I owe two of the moments where I felt most loved, honoured and proud, and sad at the same time. One was in the few minutes before you went and the other moment the next day. I will never forget what she made me feel.
The other person is Jordi, your pride and my friend. He trusted in me and gave me my first professional opportunity. My ubsession was and has been to be at the level of confidence you gave me.
You have lived and you have gone how you wanted, you have lived a lot and you have not had to survive until the end. You have been proud of your son.
You've left a woman who has always known how to be at your level, a level unattainable for most mortals.
I've had the privilege of first knowing the myth and then the person., and I have to sconfess that I never thought that the person could be at the level of the myth, but as with many things in my life, I was wrong.
Only genius' and special people can make one feel special, and you had it.
Thank you, teacher.