As Pep Guardiola, one of his successful and influential successors as Barcelona coach, said, “He painted the chapel and Barcelona coaches since have merely restored or improved it”.
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FC’s Adrian Healey and Alejandro Moreno discuss Johan Cruyff’s greatness as both player and manager.
Cruyff won the European Cup three times with Ajax as a player and once with Barcelona as a coach.
After his remarkable spell with Ajax, Cruyff won the league title as a player with Barcelona before going on to claim four consecutive championships as a coach at Camp Nou in the 1990s.
Cruyff is remembered for his time at Ajax and Barcelona, and for helping bring to life the “Total Football” brought to prominence by the Ajax and Dutch National Teams in the 1970’s.
Cruyff underwent double heart bypass surgery in 1991 and became iconic in the management world for sucking a lollipop when he was in the dugout as a substitute for cigarettes.
The former Barcelona and Ajax great – famed for his popular “Cruyff turn” skill – was diagnosed with lung cancer in October.
He was European player of the year three times and, in 1999, was named Europe’s best player of the 20th century.
“I’m extremely saddened by the news”, said Hodgson, whose squad fly to Berlin on Friday ahead of their weekend friendly against Germany.
33 – The number of goals scored by Cruyff in 48 appearances for Holland before a premature retirement from global football ahead of the 1978 World Cup.
France great Michel Platini, the former head of European soccer, said, “Johan was my childhood hero, my idol and my friend”.
“He was one of the greatest footballers I have ever seen, you would put him in the same class as Pele, (Alfredo) di Stefano and (Diego) Maradona”.
“In terms of world football, Johan Cruyff was one of the all-time greats”, said Allardyce. A lot of people come to my offices but never before has everyone wanted to be photographed with a visitor as they did with him’. An inspiration. A source of admiration for fans.
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In the wake of his death some of soccer’s biggest names paid tribute to the Dutchman, including current Barcelona star and reigning Ballon D’Or victor Lionel Messi, who wrote on Twitter, “RIP Johan Cruyff”.
