Cruyff To PSG
Johan Cruyff led an interesting life. While we all know how talented he was a player and a manager. However, he did have some moments where he showed up at clubs, or put his club in difficult problems. On 17 June 1975 the great midfielder showed up at the Parc des Princes for a match with PSG in the Tournament of Paris.
Cruyff wasn’t the only very good player there, Dragan Dzajic, a forward from Yugoslav. In the semi-final against Sporting Lisbon, the 25,000 spectators got to see Cruyff. The first goal was significant., Jacky Novi won the ball in the midfield, passed it to Cruyff on the right win, the Dutchman got past a defender with a nutmeg, before crossing the ball toward Francois M’Pele. The Congolese forward head the ball toward the goal for the first goal.
The lead didn’t last long, as Nelson equalized for Sporting in the 10th. Sporting had many great chances through Yazalde (14), Nelson (23’) and Marinho (32’) but PSG went on ahead in the score sheet through the foot of Jean-Pierre Dogliani for the goal past Damas. Then just because he wasn’t involved in the last goal, Mustapha Dahleb’s corner taken by Cruyff was delivered to M’Pele’s head for the third goal.
Now why was Cruyff there, when he was under Barcelona’s control? He was out looking to force a contract and transfer for a new club. And one of the places he was looking at; Dumbarton. The manager at the time was Sean Fallon, who got the meeting because DFC chairman Robert Robertson knew of Cruyff’s agent through a mutual relationship at an engineering company.
Instead, Cruyff signed for Washington Diplomats in the NASL … and Dumbarton fans were left wondering what might have been. But Cruyff decided against it, instead moving to the NASL.