--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Playing against 10 is harder than playing…" description: "\"Playing against 10 is harder than playing against 11 players. You know why? The team with 11 will think \"ok, we can take it easy now\", while the team w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/johan-cruijff-9968_easy_playing-against-10-is-harder-than-playin_2583933.jpg" --- # Playing against 10 is harder than playing against 11… ![“Playing against 10 is harder than playing against 11 players. You know why? The team with 11 will think "ok, we can take it easy now", while the team with 10 will think "We really have to work hard now."” quote by Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/johan-cruijff-9968_easy_playing-against-10-is-harder-than-playin_2583933.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/johan-cruijff-9968_easy_playing-against-10-is-harder-than-playin_2583933.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f46/johan-cruijff-9968_easy_playing-against-10-is-harder-than-playin_2583933.jpg) > “Playing against 10 is harder than playing against 11 players. You know why? The team with 11 will think "ok, we can take it easy now", while the team with 10 will think "We really have to work hard now."” [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A team with fewer players works harder, while a full team may become complacent, affecting performance. **In simple terms:** Fewer players spur effort; full teams may slack. Key Takeaway Cultivate a work ethic regardless of resources. Themes teamwork motivation competition effort Mood motivational analytical Type sports philosophical When to use this quote - coaching strategies - team building - training drills Key Concepts sports psychology group dynamics performance theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep a full team motivated? - What practices prevent complacency? A Different Perspective Complacency can arise even with abundance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [10 Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/10-harder-1801809/) [11 Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/11-players-255662/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder/) [Harder Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harder-playing-1801810/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Playing 10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-10-385559/) [Playing 11](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-11-1801808/) [Soccer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soccer/) [Take it easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-it-easy/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [For me, playing simply is dribbling. For me, playing one or two touches is harder. Playing simply is the most difficult thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pogba/for-me-playing-simply-is-dribbling-for-me-playing-one-or-two-touches/) [Paul Pogba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pogba/) > [I don't know if it's harder but when you're playing a real person you want to honor their memory - even if they're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-harder-but-when-you-re-playing-a-real-person-you/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [I'm very happy to be associated with Playing 11; fantasy gaming is growing very rapidly and Playing 11 is a great stage for people/users…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuzvendra-chahal/i-m-very-happy-to-be-associated-with-playing-11-fantasy-gaming-is/) [Yuzvendra Chahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuzvendra-chahal/) > [When I was 5 and playing against 11-year-olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/when-i-was-5-and-playing-against-11-year-olds-who-were-bigger/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Sometimes the opponents deserve a red card, but instead, they carry on playing with 11 men. So you also have to be more lucky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-conte/sometimes-the-opponents-deserve-a-red-card-but-instead-they-carry-on/) [Antonio Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-conte/) > [At drama school, I was always playing the 11-year-old boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/at-drama-school-i-was-always-playing-the-11-year-old-boys/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > [We could be playing a 10-person room or a 1500-person room, and if the crowd is reacting well, it doesn't matter what size it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fab-moretti/we-could-be-playing-a-10-person-room-or-a-1500-person-room-and-if-the/) [Fab Moretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fab-moretti/) > [I've been playing 10 years and I know it's easier starting the game. You have the opportunity to play much more aggressively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kukoc/i-ve-been-playing-10-years-and-i-know-it-s-easier-starting-the-game/) [Toni Kukoc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kukoc/) > [I like to be versatile and I can also play in other positions. But I probably would say I do enjoy playing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-smith-rowe/i-like-to-be-versatile-and-i-can-also-play-in-other-positions-but-i/) [Emile Smith Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-smith-rowe/) > [If you're playing for 10 or 15 years, you can't every week run six option plays. It can be around. It can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/if-you-re-playing-for-10-or-15-years-you-can-t-every-week-run-six/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [Playing 10 years in the NHL, almost 600 games, there's going to be some wear and tear for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-comrie/playing-10-years-in-the-nhl-almost-600-games-there-s-going-to-be-some/) [Mike Comrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-comrie/) > [Of course, I enjoy assisting my team-mates because playing no.10 is the position you have to serve your team-mates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/of-course-i-enjoy-assisting-my-team-mates-because-playing-no-10-is/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [When I was six years old, I was always playing with the 10-year-olds. When I was 10, I was always playing with the 14-year-olds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-murray/when-i-was-six-years-old-i-was-always-playing-with-the-10-year-olds/) [Jamal Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-murray/) > [I used to like playing No. 10 when I was younger, so I enjoy that role. But as I developed, I had to stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lingard/i-used-to-like-playing-no-10-when-i-was-younger-so-i-enjoy-that-role/) [Jesse Lingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lingard/) > [At first, I was playing in front of 10 people in a park, then 1,000, then 10,000, then 80,000 and you are on television.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-golo-kante/at-first-i-was-playing-in-front-of-10-people-in-a-park-then-1-000/) [N'Golo Kante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-golo-kante/) ## More by Johan Cruijff > [If you play on possession, you don't have to defend, because there's only one ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/if-you-play-on-possession-you-don-t-have-to-defend-because-there-s/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/playing-football-is-very-simple-but-playing-simple-football-is-the/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/in-my-teams-the-goalie-is-the-first-attacker-and-the-striker-the/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [Football is simple, you're either on time, or you're too late. 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RESULTS WITHOUT QUALITY IS BORING; QUALITY WITHOUT RESULTS IS MEANINGLESS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/you-need-both-quality-and-results-results-without-quality-is-boring/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [A counter-attack can only arise when you make a mistake. That's why there are rules. A horizontal pass? Prohibited. In my line-up there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/a-counter-attack-can-only-arise-when-you-make-a-mistake-that-s-why/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [Every trainer talks about movement, about running a lot. I say don't run so much. Football is a game you play with your brain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/every-trainer-talks-about-movement-about-running-a-lot-i-say-don-t/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [It is better to fail with your own vision than to fail with another man's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/it-is-better-to-fail-with-your-own-vision-than-to-fail-with-another/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [If my forward arrives in a one vs one situation, I always say: 'let him work it out.' Then my players say: But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/if-my-forward-arrives-in-a-one-vs-one-situation-i-always-say-let-him/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [After you've won something, you're no longer 100 percent, but 90 percent. It's like a bottle of carbonated water where the cap is removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/after-you-ve-won-something-you-re-no-longer-100-percent-but-90/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [Football is about making mistakes. Who makes the most, loses the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/football-is-about-making-mistakes-who-makes-the-most-loses-the-game/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) [Explore all 69 Johan Cruijff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) ## More Easy quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I don't want easy success. 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Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) [Browse all 14,306 Easy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Playing against 10 is harder than playing against 11 players. You know why? 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