Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff

Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player, he won the Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff led the Netherlands to the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. At club level, he started his career at Ajax, where he won eight Eredivisie titles, three European Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup.

About Johan Cruyff in brief

Summary Johan CruyffHendrik Johannes Cruijff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player, he won the Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff led the Netherlands to the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. At club level, he started his career at Ajax, where he won eight Eredivisie titles, three European Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup. In 1973, he moved to Barcelona for a world record transfer fee, helping the team win La Liga in his first season, and was named European Footballer of the Year. After retiring from playing in 1984, he became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later Barcelona; he remained an influential advisor to both clubs after his coaching tenures. His coaching philosophy helped lay the foundations for the revival of Ajax’s international successes in the 1990s, and Spanish football’s successes at both club and international levels during the years 2008 to 2012. In 1999, he was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, and came second behind Pelé in their World Player of The Century poll. He was included in the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFAWorld Cup Dream Team in 2002, and in 2004 was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in football history, his style of play and football philosophy has influenced managers and players alike.

His son Jordi also played football professionally, and his grandson Jordi is also a professional footballer. He died of a heart attack in March 2016 at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son-in-law. His funeral was held at the Oosterbegraaf Stadium in Amsterdam on Sunday, March 25. He will be buried at the burial site at Ooster begraaf, also in Amsterdam, on the same day as his brother Jordi. He also leaves behind a wife and two children. He had a son, Jany van der Veen, who played for Ajax and Barcelona, and a daughter, Jana, who is now a professional football coach. His father died when he was just 12 and he was 45, and he idolised the prolific Dutch dribbler, Faas Wilkes. He played football with his schoolmates and older brother, Henny, whenever he could, and idolised his schoolmate, and. idolised Wilkes, who lived in Akkerstraat to the De Meer Stadium, his first football club. His mother met her second husband, Henk Henk, at Ajax who proved a key influence in his life. He would frequently visit the youth coach in their neighbourhood and his friends would often visit the Ajax youthground. He lived near the Ajax training ground, but lived near their neighbourhood but lived in a near-obsessed with financial security with no financial security.