BySimon Griver, Simon Griver
JORDI Cruyff, the director of football at Maccabi Tel Aviv, is set to leave the club at the end of August, according to reports in Israel.
Cruyff had been in talks over a switch to Premier League Everton, but was only the second choice behind Leicester assistant-manager Steve Walsh.
Following the death of his legendary father, Johan, earlier this year, sources at the club confirmed that Cruyff had informed Maccabi owner Mitch Goldhar that he would be leaving the club to focus more on the Cruyff Foundation’s charitable football activities with children.
With a free hand to run Maccabi as Goldhar’s proxy, Cruyff, 42, has restored the club’s former glories. When he joined them in 2012, the team had not won the Ligat Ha’Al title since 2003, even though Canadian billionaire Goldhar had been pouring millions into the club after buying it in 2008.
But under Cruyff, Maccabi won three-straight league championships last season. Although relinquishing the league title on the last day of the season to Hapoel Beer Sheva, Maccabi reached the group stage of the Champions League.
The departure of Cruyff would be a major blow to Maccabi who recently lost manager Peter Bosz to Ajax, CEO Martin Bain to Sunderland and cap-tain Eran Zahavi, who has signed for Chinese side Guangzhou.
Shota Arveladze has replaced Bosz as boss, but he will have his work cut out to keep Maccabi at the top when the new season begins.