Jari Litmanen (53) reviewed his football career in a wide-ranging interview with ‘The Guardian’. The Finn, who burst into Ajax of the 90s, he signed in 1999 for FC Barcelona of Louis Van Gaal despite having offers from Liverpool and Bayern Munich, among others. “I have no doubt. Barça’s playing philosophy is the most similar to Ajax.”
“In the end, three clubs offered in 1999: Liverpool (whom he left after his time at the Camp Nou), Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It was not difficult to choose Barça: they have the same philosophy as Ajax. They are two different clubs built from the same source. “I heard Pep Guardiola say: ‘Cruyff built the chapel and we just painted it.'”
However, Litmanen’s first season at the Camp Nou was disappointing due to injuries. The Observer then joked that Litmanen was “following the path of Pope John Paul II, making few appearances and appearing increasingly vulnerable.” As if that wasn’t enough, when he recovered in the summer of 2000, the club was in turmoil.
“The president, Josep Lluís Núñez, is leaving the club after 23 years,” Litmanen explained. “Van Gaal (who also joined Barcelona from Ajax in 1997) won two league titles in three years, but he also left and for a while we were without a coach, all the players were out for the Euro Cup, Luís Figo went to “Real Madrid… It was chaos.” Litmanen retired in 2012 at the age of 40. An injury-prone genius who carved out a 24-year career. In some of those years, he is one of the best and most elegant players in the world.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
