Johan Cruyff Responds To Sandro Rosell Claims, Threatens Legal Action Against Club

If there are a few things we can be certain of in this world, it's taxes, death and that Johan Cruyff and Sandro Rosell will forever be at each other's throats. Evidently, the pairing share a mutual dislike for one another -- and this ensures that neither Rosell nor Cruyff are ever too far from the headlines in Catalunya. This time, the topic is money owed by the club [FC Barcelona] to Johan Cruyff's Foundation. In an exclusive interview with Catalunya Radio programme ""El Club de la Mitjanit", Barcelona president Sandro Rosell confirmed that the club were yet to pay Cruyff's foundation the money they owe, claiming that the money would be sent as soon as the Foundation clarified just what they were spending the money on.

A reasonable request -- but a request that Johan Cruyff says has already been considered. Responding on the very same radio station, Johan Cruyff listed just what each €100,000 donation had been spent on: in 2011, the donation funded reflexology sessions at various Cruyff Foundation projects and so-called "Cruyff Courts", which are small football pitches located in poor neighbourhoods in Tarragona. The following year, the €100,000 was divided between multiple projects, including a ski school, extra-curricular activities for children with cerebral palsy and schools for children with intellectual disabilities. Cruyff did not go on to say how the money would be spent this calendar year.

However, the Dutch legend confessed that he "no idea" why Rosell wants to know how the money will be spent as "it was clear in the reports we have sent". Asked why he chose to respond in public, Cruyff refused to say that he held a grudge with Rosell, instead claiming he "had to react with all the evidence" because "he felt bad for the people who work with us" because Rosell's comments discredit them and their work.

Cruyff then went on to say that he merely wanted to collect the money owed to his Foundation, and played down the threat of a legal battle -- although his suggestion that any court battle would "ridicule" the club is likely to be threatening enough for an already unpopular Sandro Rosell.

Why can't we all get along?

More from Barca Blaugranes:

• Sandro Rosell Speaks Out About Corruption Allegations
• Putting FC Barcelona's Reign Atop La Liga Into Context
• FC Barcelona News: 3 September 2013; Sergio Busquets Out of Spain Squad, Transfer Deadline Passes
• La Liga: FC Barcelona 3-2 Valencia CF: Player Ratings
• Transfer Deadline Day Poll: Neymar vs Gareth Bale