Johan Cruyff’s ability to transcend football’s tribal boundaries were evident in Rotterdam on Thursday night where fans of his final club Feyenoord paid tribute to the Dutch great, who has lost his battle against lung cancer.
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Dutch FA director Bert van Oostveen said: “We will start with a minute of silence for the victims in Brussels and in the 14th minute we will bring the match to a silence in memory of the greatest footballer we have perhaps ever produced”.
The world of football has come together in mourning to remember Cruyff, and Feyenoord held a minutes silence before Thursday evening’s match. As a manager, he led the side to two Dutch Cups and a Cup Winner’s Cup.
Cruyff died surrounded by his friends and family at his home in Barcelona, according to his official website.
The legendary forward won the Ballon d’Or on three occasions, lifted a trio of consecutive European Cups with Ajax and guided Barcelona to four magical La Liga titles as a coach in the 1990s.
Cruyff had double heart bypass surgery in 1991 and gave up smoking immediately after the operation, swapping cigarettes for lollipops.
Cruyff is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history and was the leading star of the Dutch team that introduced “Total Football” to the world.
“I think the world of football has lost one of the true legends of the game, both as a player and as a coach”.
With tributes being made by his fellow teammates, the great players he managed and many other football fans who were fortunate to witness his brilliance down the years, the general feeling is of a great man who died far too young.
Franz Beckenbauer, who captained Germany when they beat the Netherlands in Cruyff’s only World Cup final in 1974, said: “He was not only a very good friend, but also a brother to me”.
A sought-after football thinker, he managed Ajax from 1985 to 1988, and then, just as in his playing career, Cruyff was lured away by Barcelona.
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Cruyff played for Feyenoord in 1983/84, winning the Eredivisie and Dutch Cup. He returned 10 years later to coach the Spanish side.
