As the sporting world mourns the death of Johan Cruyff, it’s rest assured that his legacy will live bright in the game he so uniquely graced. The Dutch master, who lost his following a five-month battle against lung cancer, will always be remembered for being the leader of that great Netherlands team who brought a new dimension to the world game, with their newly invented brand of ‘total football.’
He will also be remembered for orchestrating that great Ajax team which dominated European football in the early 19970s and, above all, being the only footballer in history to have a move named after him – that memorable ‘Cruyff Turn’ is still something that only a few can pull off convincingly.
Cruyff, part of the Holland team who so mesmerized the world, and their opposition, in the 1974 World Cup, in the then, West Germany, was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy explored by national manager, Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in football history.
He took that philosophy with him, to Barcelona, as a player, and his forthright, no-nonsense views on how football should be played saw the Spanish giants win the coveted European Cup for the first team, when he was their manager.
The once ‘chain-smoking’ genius with the ball became a genius at the helm, transforming the whole ethos of Catalan club, from top to bottom and their continued success, to this day, has been attributed to his impact there, with stylish goal-scoring machines Messi, Neymar and Suárez, are, collectively, a legacy of the great man.
Brazil's triple World Cup winner, Pele, commented; "We lost a great man. May we carry on his example of excellence. Johan Cruyff was a great player and coach. He leaves a very important legacy for our family of football."
FIFA’s newly appointed president, Gianni Infantino, said; “Johan Cruyff was a magnificent player, one of the greatest players the world has ever known. A symbol of elegant play and an inspiration, he was a source of admiration for fans and has marked football history forever.”
Former Barcelona player, Gary Lineker, who was brought to La Liga by Cruyff, said; “I was deeply saddened by Johan Cruyff’s death. Football lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history.”
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON leaves a wife, Danny Coster and three children; Chantal, former Manchester United and Barcelona player, Jordi and Susila. He was 68.
