Complementary Qualities

Johan Cruyff is one of the pivotal figures in coaching history.

His systems and structures have become the core beliefs of two of the most prominent football clubs in the world — Ajax and Barcelona — and his disciples have continued his legacy of fine craftsmanship well beyond his untimely passing in 2016.

Central to Cruyff’s version of Total Football was team play, so much so that it even seeps into who he selects in his all-time best XI.

In his autobiography, Cruyff assembles a team not by selecting the best player for every position, but by choosing players that fit well together. Here is his team:

Lev Yashin (goalkeeper)
Ruud Krol (left fullback)
Franz Beckenbauer (libero)
Carlos Alberto (right fullback)
Pep Guardiola (holding midfielder)
Bobby Charlton (left midfielder)
Alfredo Di Stéfano (right midfielder)
Diego Maradona (attacking midfielder)
Piet Keizer (left winger)
Garrincha (right winger)
Pelé (centre-forward)

Conservatively, my estimate is he’s selected four superstars that would make most peoples’ teams — Beckenbauer, Di Stéfano, Maradona, and Pelé.

The rest are about providing balance and complementary skills.

Here’s his explanation:

“For the ideal squad I try and find a formula in which talent is used to the maximum in every case. The qualities of one player have to complement the qualities of another”.

Wide Support

“Behind wingers like Keizer and Garrincha, I’d put midfielders like Charlton and Di Stéfano. Both are top footballers who aren’t just technically and tactically brilliant, but who also fit together well physically. That puts them in an excellent position to do extra work for stylists like Keizer and Garrincha, rather than the other way round. Fullbacks list Krol and Alberto also contribute their insight, technique and speed as support for Charlton and Di Stéfano, to keep those two midfielders from getting overrun.”

Central Connection 

“Pelé and Maradona, in particular, are a perfect match because Pelé’s enormous sense of responsibility connects nicely with Maradona’s individualism. I know for sure that during the match Pelé would watch over Diego as a kind of guide, because footballers have a perfect sense for that kind of thing.”

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Cruyff’s subtle approach to team assembly shouldn’t be revolutionary, but it stands out in the modern sporting landscape. I watch dozens of games every week and the same pattern rings true: most teams clearly subscribe to the idea that they can slap together some good individuals and hope they can play together.

For instance: Last weekend, I watched two of the richest football clubs in the world try to navigate being 0-2 down against lowly opposition. Neither side had even the slightest clue as to how to solve the problem as a collective. All they could muster was a collection of individualistic players trying to dribble past everyone and score themselves — no interplay, no connection, no use of complementary qualities.

While Cruyff is revered for his technical and tactical prowess, his finest contribution to coaching may be the craftsmanship he showed in assembling his teams. When you have the resources of Ajax or Barcelona, it’s easy to fall into trap of using those resources to slap together a bunch of individuals and hope they can play together.

But Cruyff’s staunch belief in emphasizing the complementary qualities of his players was because it’s not just any idea, it’s a piece of wisdom handed down to him by his mentor, Rinus Michels.

Michels is the godfather of Total Football, and was voted FIFA’s Coach of the Century.

In Michels’ book, Teambuilding, you’ll see many of the original ideas on balance and complementary qualities, tracing back to the 1960s. In one passage, for instance, he writes: “One of the toughest team tactical assignments for the coach is to keep the balance in the team.”

This is what Cruyff was building on top of, and ultimately passing on to those he influenced like Sacchi, Guardiola, Lillo, and others.

If craftspeople stand for excellence (does it stand out), elegance (is it simple), and endurance (does it last), constructing your team to highlight complementary qualities is an idea that ticks all three of those boxes.

Try it!

One final thought: We really need to consider why the FIFA Coach of the Century has written a book that has roughly the same amount of Amazon reviews as one of my books. I dare say it’s because we’re missing an opportunity to learn from a master of his craft, rather than my books being any good.