Jordi Cruyff on Possibility for Future Collaborations and false rumors
Over the last few weeks, there has been much misinformation spread by the media on this issue. We acknowledge that at the moment, the setup of the progress of Israeli youth players is not ideal, as 18 year old players have to decide where their future lies.
We have been analyzing the situation for the last three years and came to the conclusion that a critical middle step is missing in the process. We brought up a suggestion to raise the age limit for the youth to 20, so that the players would have one or two extra years to make a possible transition in form. We also know that 18 is the age when military service comes into play, making this a very difficult moment for young players to deal with everything at once.
With this in mind, we have been looking at the option of collaborating with a team from the second division. I repeat, collaborating, which means not owning a team. The main idea is to try to direct our talents, and ensure that their training remains on the same level and methods that we use at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Competing against 30 year old players will offer them more resistance which, in my opinion, is actually the best way to learn football.
We are looking into this option, and it is important to say that everything is being dealt with under legal concerns. Regarding the stories of us creating a Maccabi B team, well that is complete nonsense. Stories of collaborating with a club and not allowing the club be promoted to a higher league is again complete nonsense. Actually, I think it would be a big compliment if a team such as a B team qualified and got promotion. It would mean that the collaboration is successful, so for sure on our part there is would be no limitation on this issue.
