Football lost one of its greatest players, coaches, administrators, personalities, influencers today, when the legendary Johan Cruyff passed away on Tuesday after a hard-fought battle with lung cancer. “No one is happy when a person like that dies”, Neymar told a press conference ahead of Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay Friday. “If you speak about Holland, you speak about Cruyff”.
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The Dutch football federation tweeted “It is with great sadness that we’ve learnt of the death of Johan #Cruyff”.
Only last month Cruyff said he was “2-0 up in the first half” of his battle against lung cancer. He then led Barcelona to their first European Cup title as a manager in 1992.
“He was one of the world’s best players and leaders, this is very tragic, it was far too soon”, he added.
Cruyff was magical, a footballing icon, surely the best player never to win the World Cup, losing to Germany in the 1974 final.
Cruyff was also a three-time victor of the Ballon d’Or award, taking the award in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
He also won two more KNVB Bekers and a Cup Winners’ Cup with Ajax during his time as coach and most recently held a position as a special advisor.
“Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is”, he once said. Guardiola won two Champions League crowns as Barcelona manager in 2008-2012, and he now manages Bayern Munich.
Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish Football League (LFP), tweeted: “My condolences to the family and friends of Johan Cruyff”.
Cruyff had announced his retirement from football in May 1978 having just turned 31, but financial pressures saw him head for the United States in 1979, joining ex-Ajax, Barca and Netherlands boss Michels at Los Angeles Aztecs before moving on to Washington Diplomats.
Cruyff is widely considered to be among the finest players to have graced the game and is often bracketed with Pele and Diego Maradona.
He had been a heavy smoker until undergoing open heart surgery in 1991 and instead took to sucking lollipops when watching matches.
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Clubs and players from across Europe paid their own tributes, and Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos made his own fond tribute. And at that time, for me, he was the best player in the world. Then I will stand on the touchline and watch as they perform Cruyff turns like they are turning on a tap, and I will understand the real legacy of an impact from one of the true legends of the game. I am very sad because Johan was my childhood hero, my idol and my friend.
