L’Equipe published on Saturday various extracts from Johan Cruyff’s new autobiography, which the former Barcelona and Holland legend wrote before his death with Times journalist David Walsh.

The book, released on 6 October, reveals that Cruyff stopped Barcelona from selling Pep Guardiola – a figure who later became decisive in the club’s success, first as a player and then as a coach.

Full screen Cruyff (l) and Guardiola at Barcelona

"Scrawny and bad in defence"

“Barça wanted to get rid of him. They thought he was scrawny, bad in defence and lacking in the aerial game. Something nobody saw was that he had the basic qualities to go far: a footballing brain, speed of execution, technique. If I hadn’t been at Barcelona, he would definitely have been sold to a second division side,” wrote Cruyff.

The late-Dutchman also recalled how Pep, who now coaches at Manchester City, showed desire to go into management early on. “He wanted to be the boss...the one who made the decisions and would take the consequences.”