Dutch legend Johan Cruyff has been named as the new coach of Spanish region Catalonia.

The high-profile appointment of Cruyff raises the profile of the region who have had several attempts to join UEFA in recent years rejected.

The Catalonians are made up of players born in the region, with several members of Barcelona's treble winning side currently playing for the nation.

Cruyff spent five years at Catalan club Barcelona as a player from 1973, where he won one La Liga title after rejecting a move to rivals Real Madrid.

The former Ajax player confirmed his legendary status in Catalan after returning to manage the club in 1988, where he won four consecutive La Liga titles, a UEFA Cup and a European Cup, with his side dubbed the 'Dream Team'.

The three-time European Footballer of the Year is considered one of the greatest players of all time, inspiring Ajax to eight league titles and three European cups.

Catalonia's last match was a 2-1 victory over Colombia at the Nou Camp in December 2008, their sixth game in three years.

Cruyff will be officially unveiled in his new role at a press conference on November 9TH.