Johan Cruyff, one of soccer’s greatest players and most influential and visionary coaches, has died aged 68 after a five-month battle with lung cancer.
An ex-smoker who had heart surgery in 1991, Cruyff joined Ajax Amsterdam as a long-haired teenager before emerging as one of the world’s greats in the early 1970s.
He helped Ajax Amsterdam win three European Cups in a row from 1971-73 and also named European Footballer of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
Born Hendrik Johannes Cruyff, he joined Barcelona for a then world record transfer fee of $US2 million ($A2.66 million), and it was Barcelona that would later define his coaching career, helping the Catalan club to win their first La Liga title in nearly 15 years in 1974.
He was also a key player in the great Netherlands team that reached the 1974 World Cup final when, for the first time, during the tournament a global audience saw him perform the now-famous “Cruyff turn” the movement in which the player with the ball plays it behind their own leg before swerving away in the direction of the ball.
The Dutch also got to the World Cup final but lost again in 1978, this time without Cruyff who had quit the national side, saying years later he walked away after an armed kidnap attempt.
In 1999, he was voted European Player of the Century while he is often bracketed alongside Brazil’s Pele and Argentina’s Diego Maradona as the three best players ever to grace the sport.
The Barca ‘Dream Team’ Cruyff coached won four straight La Liga titles between 1991 and 1994 and beat Sampdoria 1-0 for the club’s maiden European Cup triumph in 1992.
The possession-based playing style Cruyff promoted, with an emphasis on relentless attack, has been widely copied and is credited with underpinning Barca’s subsequent successes, as well as those of the Spanish national team.
Former England captain Gary Lineker, who played under Cruyff at Barcelona, summed up the Dutchman’s contribution by saying on Twitter: “Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history.”
Only last month Cruyff said he was “2-0 up in the first half” of his battle against lung cancer. Poignantly that turned out to be one of the last public statements made by the man whose footballing pronouncements were eagerly sought after by soccer fans around the globe.
He died surrounded by friends and family at home in Barcelona.
His death prompted Dutch radio and television stations to suspend regular programming, with Ronald de Boer, another Dutch international who played at Barcelona, declaring: “He was the best footballer we ever had.”
Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said: “RIP @JohanCruyff, a genius, a legend and the man who changed the mentality of the @FCBarcelona.”
jamesb
Guest
One of the most influential footballers of all time. His exponent of "total football" has stood the test of time. RIP Johan.
Midfielder
Guest
One of the few players to influence the game on and off the field for 40 years. Arguably the most influential player / person of the modern era.
football
Guest
Cruyff departed us too soon, Thank you Johan for everything. Brilliant footballer with a deep mind. Nobody represented the Netherlands character as well as he. Bravo Johan, u waart, ben and zal voor allerttijden de besten Nederlandse voetballist
football
Guest
are you dutch MF? if not, that's pretty well written. How did you acquire that language? Thanks
AR
Guest
In the rarefied air of the few absolute great players...and probably stands alone in terms of his contribution to future generations and to the sport itself. A legend.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Same here marron. When I was watching maradona, platini and zico my dad was always saying 'pele, cruyff and Beckenbauer were even better son'. From what I have seen, and understand, Cruyff was probably the most complete footballer of all and perhaps also the most influential in both attack and defence. The Netherlands became the great football nation that it is thanks to him; not sure we would have had the van basten, gullit, rijkaard etc without Cruyff.
Bfc
Guest
Lots of pub arguments about the "best ever"....Cruyff belongs in that rare company as a player anyway, but it is his influence as a coach and football visionary that sets him apart. The progress of "total football", the Ajax Academy that continues to produce top talent, the creation of the FC Barcelona style and the eventual WC success of Spain... Vale Johan Cruyff...you made football better.
hogdriller
Roar Rookie
All the kids wanted to be Cruyff back in the early 70's when playing street football then. Never forget the few clips we were lucky enough to see on our old black and white T.V. when he was playing for Ajax but more memorable was the 74' W.C. Final against W.Germany, first one I saw in colour and it was phenomenal. One couldn't be a 'star' if they didn't have the flowing long hair.......great memories. Rest In Peace Mr Cruyff, a Legend who will never be forgotten.
Buddy
Guest
My favourite subbuteo team in the early to mid 70's was Ajax Amsterdam with the mercurial Cruyff steering an attacking game with shots from all around the park. I loved watching him, Johnny Rep, Neeskeens, Muhren (long before he went to Ipswich) and Rudi Kroll and many others whose names have disappeared from memory as the decades pass. Watching football in the UK in those days was abput target players, big centre forwards often with smaller players running off them...very effective too, Toshack and Keegan, Chivers and Gilzean, Osgood and Hudson etc........there were also some really " hard defenders" each with a nickname and a reputation for biting your legs or chopping you down as that seemed to be the way you stopped skillful forwards in those days.....and they got away with it too. So when the Ajax side came along that conquered europe a few times and played what became known as total football, I used to watch "bug eyed" and became an instant fan especially of Cruyff....nothing more depressing than seeing Holland lose the 74 and 78 World Cup Finals for no other reason than the enjoyment they provided. There are many arguments about who is the greatest and there is no wrong answer in my book...but Cruyff regardless of where he is placed in the pecking order by football pundits around the world was always my favourite and the person who inspired me to coach and teach kids not to get pigeon holed in set positions and to play with style and grace. Many thanks for a fantastic contribution Mr Cruyff.
marron
Guest
One of my earliest football memories is my father explaining total football and cruyff to me. That conversation - I would have been about six - has lasted with me through the decades. I'm too young to have seen him play myself. I've watched plenty in retrospect though, and see football through a lens inspired in part by his genius. RIP.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Johan Cruijff wordt gezien als één van de beste voetballers aller tijden. Kenners noemen hem in een adem met Pelé en Maradona. God hebbe z'n ziel.
Barca4life
Guest
A true pioneer as a player and as a coach, and laid the seeds of success at FC Barcelona. RIP Legend!
AZ_RBB
Guest
Having not seen him play week in week out. I can't say much about him as a footballer. But being a modern football fan I can agree that he was the most influential footballer in history.
Punter
Guest
I fell in love with football in the wee hours in 1974 with my Dad watching the World cup, with the Socceroos, but of the big teams & the big players, the one I love most was Johan Cruyff, just marveled watching & felt the lost in the final. RIP Johan Cruyff & thanks for introducing me to the greatest game of all!!!!!! One of the very few, very, very few, who were the truly great footballers who then became great managers too. But as the player is how I remember him.
FIUL
Guest
Very sad day for football. One of the greatest I've seen. Far too young. He was a chain smoker until about 10 years ago, so hope this tragedy can help to wake more people up to the perils of smoking.
The Phantom Commissioner
Roar Rookie
RIP Johan Cruyff, one of the Kings of football. Responsible for the Cruyff turn, responsible for completely changing the way football could be played.