debut on 26 July 2009, in a 3–0 win in the Europa League 2009–10 first qualifying round against Icelandic side Keflavík. His first league appearance came on 21 August 2008, in a 3–1 win over Birkirkara. He scored his first goal on 29 August 2009 in a 6–0 win against Floriana. Valletta won the MFA Trophy in Cruyff's first season beating Qormi 2–1, although Cruyff did not play in the final as he was not fully fit. Despite mostly playing as a defensive player in the latter stages of his career, Cruyff took on a more attacking role with Valletta. International career Cruyff was approached by both countries, Spain and the Netherlands, when he was eligible to play for their under-21 teams. He was unsure which country to represent, and in 1996 he declined the possibility to join the Spanish team for the Olympic Games, opting instead to play for the Netherlands at Euro '96. His performances for Barcelona persuaded coach Guus Hiddink to include him in the Netherlands squad for the tournament. He made his debut for the national side in a 2–0 friendly defeat against Germany on 24 April 1996. Cruyff scored his only goal for the Netherlands during a 2–0 win against Switzerland at Villa Park on 13 June, and was one of five Dutch footballers to be selected for the Dutch national team while never having played in the Eredivisie. Career as sports director AEK Larnaca In 2010, Cruyff announced his retirement from professional football and joined AEK Larnaca as director of football on a three-year deal. He appointed Ton Caanen as head coach, and the pair worked to establish the team as a new football powerhouse in Cyprus. In his first season, the team finished 4th and the team qualified for the UEFA Europa League. In his second season, AEK Larnaca qualified for the groups stage of the Europa League after beating Rosenborg in the play-offs. The participation of the team in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League was historic for both the club and for Cyprus football, as the club became the first Cypriot team to secure qualification to the Europa League (preceded by Anorthosis and APOEL in the group stages of the Champions League). The team finished 5th that season in the domestic league. Maccabi Tel Aviv In April 2012, Cruyff was appointed by Mitchell Goldhar, owner of Maccabi Tel Aviv, as the Sports