Jordi Cruyff: Father’s Legacy, Life After Messi & Daughter’s Cancer Journey| Stick to Football EP 106
Stick to Football
The Overlap
4.6 • 686 Ratings
🗓️ 11 December 2025
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome back to Stick to Football, brought to you by ARNE.
In this episode, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Roy Keane and Ian Wright are joined by Jordi Cruyff for an honest and insightful look at his life in football and beyond.
We begin with Jordi’s early playing career, how he first fell in love with the game and the influence of his father, Johan. He talks us through his journey in the Barcelona academy and his move to Manchester United, where he struck up a close friendship with Eric Cantona during a memorable spell at Old Trafford.
The team then reflect on Johan Cruyff’s remarkable legacy. As one of the most influential figures the sport has ever seen, what was he like away from the pitch, and what shaped his genius both as a player and as a manager?
The conversation moves to Jordi’s role as Sporting Director at Barcelona during the post-Messi era. With financial restrictions and huge expectations on the club, he opens up on the challenges he faced and what he learned during one of the most difficult periods in Barça’s recent history.
To finish, Jordi shares the powerful story of his daughter Danae’s battle with cancer. Danae joins us on the show to talk about her diagnosis and recovery, and we are all incredibly proud to see her doing so well and speaking so openly about her journey.
Who is the most iconic player in football history? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Overlap.
00:00 - Intro
05:27 - Jordi’s Man United Experience
22:44 - Leaving Barcelona
25:12 - Growing Up The Son of Johan
39:39 - Tactical Insights and Team Dynamics
43:10 - The Genius of Romário
47:34 - Challenges at Barcelona Post Messi
01:07:27 - Battling Cancer With His Daughter
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Stick to Football is brought to you by our partners ARNE clothing
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before we get started, a quick thanks to our partners and clothing. |
| 0:04.1 | We hope you enjoy the show. |
| 0:06.0 | What's your favourite Christmas film, Roy? |
| 0:08.0 | Oh, it's a wonderful life. |
| 0:10.9 | Twins, you and writing you, I think. |
| 0:12.7 | Are we on the same page? |
| 0:14.0 | Yeah, brilliant movie. |
| 0:15.5 | Feel good factor, yeah. |
| 0:16.5 | Okay, thank you. |
| 0:17.8 | Cheers, Roy. |
| 0:19.4 | Sorry, right. |
| 0:39.1 | Was it the... Don't say you've not seen it. No. I've not seen it. I've seen a beautiful life. I've only ever seen it and it was last Christmas. The first time. |
| 0:40.0 | Did you cry? |
| 0:54.8 | Is this where he's walking through the snow? Yeah. Is he, let me try to remember, Ross. And he's trying to, and everyone sends on his house. Yeah, he wish he hadn't kind of, yeah, yeah. hadn't lived basically and look at his life if he hadn't. |
| 0:55.5 | People weren't. |
| 0:57.7 | The first time I've ever seen it was last year, yeah. |
| 0:54.8 | I've seen a beautiful... kind of, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And then look at his life if he hadn't. |
| 0:55.6 | People weren't there. |
| 0:56.9 | The first I've ever seen it was last year, yeah. |
| 0:57.8 | I've seen a beautiful life. The Italian actor, actually. You've seen that one, Roy? Beautiful. The one that's a beautiful. He's in a concentration camp with his son. And, you know, It's about him trying to make his son think that it's a game. |
| 1:11.4 | All right. |
| 1:12.2 | It's a game. |
... |
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