Cruyff believes Barca could've treated the situation better at the time.
He told Marca: "There have been some changes that have gone well. Especially the way to play up with four instead of three. And the reserves who are waiting for their chance are catching them with both hands, this is something precious that people like. All this is a process of many years since there are reserves who debuted two, three or four years ago. People are excited about how they compete. "
On Xavi's departure, Cruyff continued: "From the outside we have opinions, but without knowing the inside. What I find difficult to understand, perhaps due to my mentality as a foreigner, is that to praise one you have to crush another.
"A club is a process of many years. And in that process there is a coach who has not won the League, but has made Araujo, Pedri, Gavi debut ... The club's path is very long in which everyone contributes their own. Xavi arrived at a very difficult time for Barça and won the League with a very big difference when nobody expected it. Then the roads were separated and now things are going well with another and we must praise him, but it is not necessary to belittle the League that was won two years ago that was unthinkable.
"No one expected it. I respect everyone, we all like to comment, but the penalty is only missed by the one who throws it away."
He added, "This Barça does not stray from my father's philosophy. He has been associated with a 4-3-3. But in Barça he has played 3-4-3 many times and it seems that people forget. DNA is not the system, but the purpose, what you want to do: if you want to dominate, if you want to give the pitchers minutes ... This is DNA. A tactical adjustment is not to change the Barça philosophy. The coaches are adapting."