Barcelona confirm Cruyff departure

Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff will leave the newly-crowned Spanish champions at the end of the season, the LaLiga giants confirmed on Tuesday.

The Catalan club said in a statement that Cruyff would not be renewing his contract "due to his wish to embark on new professional endeavours".

The news comes the day after it was announced that director of football Mateu Alemany would also be leaving on July 1.

Cruyff informed club president Joan Laporta of his decision on Tuesday, 48 hours after Barca sealed a 27th league title and first since 2019.

"Cruyff has said that he is committed to assisting the club in its transition towards a new executive structure, and will be offering his full support with the closure of outstanding operations in the summer transfer market," the club statement added.

Cruyff and Alemany were both appointed after Laporta was elected Barcelona president in March 2021, at a time when the Catalan club was embroiled in a financial and institutional turmoil.

Cruyff is the son of Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff, who was a player at Barca in the 1970s and later coached the club.

Like his father, Cruyff, 49, played for Barcelona as an attacking midfielder in the 1990s, and also won the Premier League title with Manchester United.