His heavy smoking was blamed for heart bypass surgery in 1991 and he started sucking lollipops on the touchline at Barcelona games.
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During his time in Barcelona, Cruyff became close to the Catalan cause, setting up residence in the city – his son, Jordi, who played for Alaves, Barcelona, Espanyol and Manchester United, is named for the Catalan patron saint.
He won eight Eredivisie titles at Ajax and was a key part of the side that won three straight European Cups between 1971 and 1973.
A World Cup finalist in 1974, Cruyff was the main playing protagonist of the “Total Football” style employed by both Ajax and the Netherlands national team in their prime in the 1970s.
He scored 33 goals in 48 appearances for his country.
“It is thanks to Johan Cruyff that Barcelona are where they are today also the influence that he had on me in my career as a footballer he was one of the most important people in my life on a professional level”.
As Barca manager Cruyff created the “Dream Team” that included Pep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário and Hristo Stoichkov.
Johan Cruyff plays with FC Barcelona against Ipswich in a 1977 European Cup match. On Thursday, Cruyff died in the company of family in Barcelona.
Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he invented the “Cruyff Turn”, a simultaneous lightning-fast drag back and 180-degree turn.
“He was also a very fair person”.
“Total Football. What exactly did that mean?”
Lisbon Lion Jim Craig led some of the tributes from Celtic Park as the football community gathered to mourn the passing of Dutch great Johan Cruyff. Ajax’s success in Europe made Cruyff a household name, and when his compatriot Rinus Michels held the reins at Barcelona, he tempted Cruyff to try his luck in Spain. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez recreated the same penalty in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Celta Vigo in February and afterwards Cruyff said: “What Messi did thrilled me”.
71 – Cruyff won the first of three Ballon d’Or European Footballer of the Year trophies in 1971.
“The world of football has lost one of the true legends of the game”, he told FATV.
It is believed this was the last time he was seen in public before his death from lung cancer on Thursday.
The club said fans could pay tribute to Cruyff from 08:00GMT (4pm Malaysian time) on Saturday at the Camp Nou Stadium where a special condolence area would be set aside in the grandstand.
“As a player, as a coach, you changed the history of our club”.
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Johan Cruyff will be remembered as a visionary and an inspiration following his death at the age of 68.
