Johan Cruyff

Footballer; Born: April 24,1947; Died: March 24, 2016. Johan Cruyff, who has died aged 68 of lung cancer, was one of the world football’s greatest players. Diagnosed with the illness in October 2015,he was quoted last month in optimistic mood about recovery, stating he was “2-0 up” but sadly succumbed yesterday.

The world of football has been united in paying fulsome tribute to the Dutch genius, both as player and coach. Former club Ajax stated: “He was the greatest Ajax player of all time,” while Barcelona, where he also played, commented: “We will always love you Johan, rest in peace.”

“Words are not enough,” said a spokesman for the Dutch Football Federation.

Cruyff’s playing CV reads like the format for a perfect football career – World Cup finalist and Golden Ball winner (player of the tournament), multiple European Cup winner, multiple Dutch and Spanish league and cup winner, three times Ballon d’Or winner (European Player of the Year), three times World Player of the Year, European Player of the 20th century and 48 caps for the Netherlands.

As coach/manager, his CV was also highly impressive – he secured Dutch Cup wins with Ajax, and while with Barcelona, Spanish League and Cup wins, a European Cup Winner’s Cup success, the club’s first European Cup win, two other European Cup finals and a European Super Cup.

An extremely gifted two-footed player with tremendous speed of thought, vision, balance and pace, he was a nightmare for opponents to play against. A disciple of the Dutch system of “total football” in which players were required to be interchangeable and able to play in all positions, he was an integral part of his national team’s success in reaching the 1974 World Cup final which was lost to Germany 2-1. The architect of that system was the legendary Dutch coach Rinus Michels who was tasked some years ago by the SFA with proposals for the improvement of our national game.

That Dutch team’s achievement was a reflection of the success of that system as, well into the 1960s, the standard of their national team was scarcely above amateur level. En route to the 1974 final the Netherlands beat Argentina, East Germany and Brazil.

A tricky run by Cruyff into the German penalty area caused Uli Hoeness to foul him and Neeskens gave the Dutch an early lead in the final with the resultant penalty. But it was not to last with the Germans scoring twice. It was claimed subsequently that all was not well in the Dutch camp with conflicts among the players and their left winger Rensenbrink playing despite injury to fulfil a sponsor’s contract. There was plenty talent in that Dutch side with players of the calibre of Johnny Rep, Rudi Haan, Van Hanegem, Neeskens and Wim Jansen, later to manage Celtic. Yet Cruyff was the figurehead.

In 1978 Holland also reached the World Cup final though without Cruyff, who did not play in that tournament. The explanation given was that he did not go on a matter of principle as he disapproved of Argentina’s military dictatorship. However he later revealed that the real reason was that he and his family had been the victims of an attempted kidnap the year before in Barcelona and did not wish to be further exposed to such risk.

He was the second son of Hermanus and Petronella Cruyff and was brought up in Betondorp, a poor suburb on the outskirts of Amsterdam near the De Meer stadium, then Ajax’s ground. From a young age he was constantly playing football with big brother Henny and schoolmates and at the age of 10 was enrolled into the Ajax youth section. There he came under the influence initially of their youth coach Jany van der Veen who worked hard with Cruyff on making him a two-footed player.

Tragedy struck when Cruyff was 12 when his father died of a heart attack. He had run the family’s small greengrocer’s business but his mother did not feel capable of doing so on her own and started working for Ajax as a cleaner. She encouraged her son to commit himself to the sport which he did enthusiastically.

She began a relationship with Henk Angel, a groundsman at the club, whom she went on to marry. Cruyff formed a close bond with “uncle Henk” ,sometimes referring to him as his “second father”. He recalled in an interview how as a youngster at Ajax, he had helped Henk with everything, putting up corner flags, clearing lines, helping with tractor work and putting flags up on the stadium roof. His debut for Ajax was as a 17 year old against GVAV, a 3-1 defeat but Cruyff scored the only goal. When he came to play his first senior game at de Meer, against PSV, he was already well familiar with the ground having played many games there with the youth team who were Dutch champions.

He became an established regular from 1965/6 onwards, which was the start of being coached by Michels and immersed himself in total football. His international debut soon followed against Hungary when he got on the scoresheet but in his second international against Czechoslovakia he was sent off, revealing an occasionally suspect temperament. League and cup success then flowed with Ajax, culminating in their historic three consecutive European Cup wins in the early 1970s.

In 1973 he moved to Barcelona for a world record transfer fee of about $2 million. There he endeared himself to the “Cules” by helping Barcelona to their first league title in 14 years, skelping Real Madrid 5-0 in the process in the Bernabeu. Later he went on to manage them to great success in the early 1990s, securing their first much craved European Cup success and a run of league titles.

Always a strong personality he clashed with the Barcelona president but maintained close ties with the club.

After finishing playing for Barcelona he played a couple of seasons in American football, which led to the somewhat bizarre possibility of his joining Dumbarton in the early 1980s. Out of contract in the US and in financial difficulty, Sean Fallon, then manager of Dumbarton held “signing talks” with him in Amsterdam, making him a ‘very good offer”, but Cruyff ultimately declined.

A keen golfer, Cruyff played in Scotland more than a dozen times in the Dunhill Championship and enjoyed very much the Old Course and Carnoustie, where he was particularly pleased to notch a birdie once at “Hogan’s Alley”.

He was justifiably proud of his Foundation which raised enormous sums to facilitate the participation in sport of handicapped youngsters worldwide.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years and his three children.