Cruyff had been in the eye of the storm for the past two years.
The godfather of Barcelona had been at his most influential during Laporta's tenure. He had been Laporta's most capable campaign aide, tirelessly campaigning for him and helping him rise to power. His contributions had been immense, so naturally, he had received generous rewards in return.
After Laporta was elected, Cruyff became Barcelona's most special Uncrowned King. In March 2010, he became Barcelona's honorary president, and he would do everything in his power to help Laporta campaign for reelection.
However, those good days did not last long.
In the summer of 2010, Rosell, who had once been a member of Laporta's campaign team, "betrayed" him, ran for Barcelona's presidency, and won. The first thing he did after taking office was strip Cruyff of the crown atop his head—the appointment as Barcelona's honorary president. Cruyff considered it a tremendous humiliation.
From then on, Cruyff's position in Barcelona became extremely awkward. He immediately turned his guns elsewhere, targeting his old club Ajax, the stronghold of the Netherlands. He launched a Velvet Revolution, overthrew Ajax's management, and became the most powerful figure on Ajax's five-man reform committee.
Just when everyone thought he had lost in one place but gained in another, Ajax's five-man committee appointed Van Gaal behind Cruyff's back. This led to the incident in which Cruyff appealed to the court, becoming a hot topic among media and fans worldwide and damaging Cruyff's own image as well.
Cruyff, however, did not take it to heart. In his subsequent columns, he continued blasting Yang Yang, rebuking his support for Van Gaal in Amsterdam. He openly accused Yang Yang of becoming involved in too many matters off the pitch and allowing them to affect his focus on football. He even claimed