Home ARTICLE FOOTBALL Johan Cruyff Career Retrospective: Total Football’s Greatest Icon

Johan Cruyff Career Retrospective: Total Football’s Greatest Icon

Read
Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff earned 48 caps for the Netherlands

The full story of Johan Cruyff – Ajax superstar, Barcelona trailblazer, Netherlands 1974 World Cup Golden Ball winner, and visionary coach. Three Ballon d’Ors, European Cups, and a legacy that still defines the beautiful game. Includes rare moments from PSG and LA Aztecs. 


Netherlands to the 1974 World Cup final, to coaching Barcelona’s first Champions League and the Dream Team era...



Ten years ago, we lost Johan Cruyff, a football icon whose legacy continues to shape the sport. The Dutch maestro left an indelible mark on Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rotterdam, and beyond.


Cruyff's influence extends far and wide, from his hometown of Amsterdam to the US, where he made waves in the NASL. His philosophy and style still inspire players and teams today.


This collection of 14 short stories celebrates Johan Cruyff's life, career, and enduring impact on football. 


Here are 14 short stories about Johan Cruyff, the legendary Dutch footballer and coach:

  1. 1. Cruyff's first touch: At 5, Johan kicked a ball for the first time. He was hooked.
  2. The making of a legend: Ajax's youth academy nurtured Cruyff's talent. He debuted at 17.
  3. Total Football pioneer: Cruyff's philosophy changed the game. Players became versatile.
  4. Cruyff's Barcelona dream: He joined Barca in 1973, leading them to La Liga glory.
  5. Number 14 magic: Cruyff wore 14 for Netherlands, inspiring a generation.
  6. 1974 World Cup: Cruyff led Netherlands to the final, mesmerizing fans.
  7. Coaching revolution: As coach, Cruyff transformed Barcelona, winning 4 La Liga titles.
  8. Dream Team birth: Cruyff's Barca won the 1992 European Cup, unbeaten.
  9. Cruyff's comeback: After injury, he returned stronger, scoring 85 goals in 2 seasons.
  10. Prolantic rivalry: Cruyff vs. Franz Beckenbauer – a beautiful feud.
  11. Innovative thinker: Cruyff introduced 'anti-football' tactics, confusing opponents.
  12. Family man: Johan's son, Jordi, followed in his footsteps.
  13. Legacy lives: Cruyff's philosophy influences modern football.
  14. Timeless impact: Johan Cruyff's spirit continues to inspire football lovers worldwide.

Ajax Roots

Johan Cruyff grew up just minutes from Ajax's De Meer Stadion, and the club's DNA was woven into his family's fabric. Born on April 25, 1947, in Amsterdam's Betondorp neighborhood, Cruyff's love affair with Ajax began at 10, when he joined their youth team.


Johan Cruyff's connection to Ajax ran deep. His mum, Petronella, was a volunteer in the club canteen, and after his dad passed away in 1959, Ajax supported the family. She even started cleaning locker rooms to make ends meet. Cruyff joined Ajax's youth academy in 1957, on his 10th birthday, after a coach, Jany van der Veen, spotted him playing street football in Betondorp and invited him to join without a trial.


Johan Cruyff, a keen baseball fan, wasn't the strongest kid, but football became his thing. Initially, his brother Henny was seen as the more talented one, but Johan's determination won out. He made his senior debut for Ajax, while Henny faded into the background.


The Truck Arrival

Johan Cruyff arrived in Spain as a 'truck' – a clever workaround to bypass Franco's ban on foreign footballers. After Ajax success, he felt snubbed when teammates stripped him of captaincy, so he joined Barcelona. But Spain's strict laws meant he was 'imported' as a truck, not a player.


A clever director at a foreign monetary institute found a loophole, and voilà! Johan Cruyff was 'imported' to Spain as a truck – and officially classified as livestock. That loophole let him join Barcelona and change Spanish football.


Johan Cruyff's Lasting Legacy

Johan Cruyff's impact on football extends far beyond his playing days. The Johan Cruyff Foundation, established in 1997, has built over 875 Cruyff Courts and special school courts across five continents, supporting children, including those with disabilities, in participating in sports. These courts provide safe spaces for kids to play and develop, with some adapted for youth with disabilities.


Johan Cruyff's legacy lives on in big stadiums too. Ajax renamed their Amsterdam ArenA after him in 2018, and Barça named their Estadi Johan Cruyff, home to Barca B, women's team, and U-19s, in 2019.



From Ajax prodigy to eternal legend, the club’s stadium now carries Johan Cruyff’s name
From Ajax prodigy to eternal legend, the club’s stadium now carries Johan Cruyff’s name | Photo by DEAN MOUHTAROPOULOS / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP


Cruyff Croons

Johan Cruyff traded boots for mic in 1969, hitting the Dutch Top 40 with a song, who knew he was a rockstar in disguise.


Johan Cruyff's hidden talent, he hit the Dutch charts in '69 with 'Oei Oei Oei (Dat Was Me Weer Een Loei)', a song he recorded with Peter Koelewijn. It peaked at 21 in the Netherlands, but the Spanish version, 'Otro buen chut (Oei, Oei, Oei)', was a bigger hit, especially in the Basque Country.


The Philosophy of Cruyff

Johan Cruyff's wisdom transcends football – his quotes have become a part of Dutch culture, with 'Cruijffiaans' (Cruyffian) coined to describe his unique brand of witty, insightful phrases. Whether on or off the pitch, Cruyff had a way with words.


Let Cruyff Speak

No one nailed football like Cruyff – his words are the playbook. Time to let the master philosopher take it away.


Every downside has its upside.

If you can't win, make sure you don't lose.

Playing football is very simple, but the hardest thing of all is to play it simply. 

There’s only one time when you can arrive on time. If you’re not there then, you’re either too early or too late. 

It is better to go down fighting with your own vision than with someone else’s.

I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal. 

If you see a player sprinting, it means he started too late. 

Coincidence makes sense.

I’m against everything. Until I make a decision, then I’m for it. Seems logical to me.

If I’d wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better.


Cruyff Goes Cosmic

Johan Cruyff's legacy reached orbit – asteroid 14282 Cruijff, a 9km-wide rock between Mars and Jupiter, was named in his honor in 2010.


The asteroid's number wasn't a coincidence – 14's Johan Cruyff's iconic number, and 28 is 2 x 14, making 14282 a fitting tribute to the legend in space.



Johan Cruyff stuck with Puma, his longtime sponsor, at the 1974 World Cup. But Netherlands' kits were Adidas – solution? He wore an Adidas shirt with two stripes, not three, keeping Puma happy.


Adidas blinked in the marketing chess match – Cruyff got a special two-striped Oranje kit for the '74 World Cup, staying loyal to Puma. Guess that made him the only one to rock a two-stripe Adidas shirt.


Johan Cruyff in the two-striped Adidas kit against Argentina during the 1974 FIFA World Cup
Johan Cruyff in the two-striped Adidas kit against Argentina during the 1974 FIFA World Cup | ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Pressefoto Baumann

Cruyff's Ajax Snub

Johan Cruyff wanted record wages from Ajax in '82, but they balked. So he signed with Feyenoord – Ajax's arch-rivals. Talk about revenge!


Cruyff's Feyenoord start was rough – 8-2 drilling at Ajax – but he ended on a high, leading them to a league and cup double. In his final season, he scored 11 goals, winning their first title in a decade.



The Forgotten Hero

Johan Cruyff's legacy isn't celebrated everywhere in Spain – Atlético Madrid fans might not be singing his praises, given his Barça roots.


Cruyff's return to the Dutch team hinged on impressing at Levante, Paco Aznar, the owner, tried to convince his squad, but they just laughed at the idea.



Cruyff's Levante stint tanked – his hefty wages, including 50% of home ticket revenue, drained the club's finances, and results nosedived, killing their promotion chances. 


Levante's got some positives from Cruyff's stint – he took 30% of his wages, drew crowds, and boosted membership. 10 games, 2 goals, but a lasting impact.


Almost a Madridista

Cruyff was close to joining Real Madrid after feeling betrayed by Ajax teammates – but FC Barcelona swooped in, making him a Culer instead.


After Ajax beat Juventus in the '73 Europa Cup, Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu made a play for Cruyff – 30 million pesetas on the table from Los Blancos. But Barcelona sealed the deal.


Barca outbid Madrid, shelling out 90 million pesetas (€2.7m) for Cruyff – a hefty price, but the Dutchman was worth it to the Catalans.


The Unofficial Stints

Take a look at Johan Cruyff's career, and you'll find out that he played for Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, DS'79, Levante, Washington Diplomats again, Ajax again, and Feyenoord. You won't find PSG and AC Milan in Cruyff's official playing history, but he did play exhibition games for both – in '75 for PSG and '77 for Milan.


Johan Cruyff played two friendly games for Paris Saint-Germain
Johan Cruyff played two friendly games for Paris Saint-Germain | X/@PSG_inside


In '81, Cruyff turned out for AC Milan at the Mundialito de Clubs, a Channel 5 tournament hosted by Silvio Berlusconi's Milan. He played one game, a 0-0 draw vs Feyenoord.


The Football Evangelist

In '79, Cruyff took his talents to the US, following Pelé and Beckenbauer, to spread the gospel of football – showing Americans the beautiful game's magic.


Johan Cruyff and the number 14, a match made in heaven for exactly 14 years
Johan Cruyff wearing the #14 shirt for the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1979 | ČTK / AP / Ira Schwarz


Cruyff took a pay cut to join the Aztecs, saying “I only do things I feel like doing anymore. And this is something I feel like doing,” he told David Hirshey. He went all out promoting football in the US – clinics, TV appearances, driving hours, all for the love of the game.


He was more like a missionary than a mercenary, says Nick Charles, who hosted Cruyff on his TV show: “He was billed as a mercenary, but he turned out to be a missionary. None of the big stars I’ve worked with was so completely absorbed in their love for their sport.”


The Symbol of Resistance

When Cruyff joined FC Barcelona, Spain was under Franco's dictatorship, and Catalonia was being stripped of its identity – Catalan language and flag were banned, and the region was suffocating.


In his first season with the Blaugrana, FC Barcelona were on track for a first title since 1960, and Johan's first El Clásico, away at Real Madrid, was looming in round 22. Meanwhile, Johan's wife Danny was expecting their third child, and the due date coincided with the game. FC Barcelona manager Rinus Michels was keen to have Johan available for El Clásico, so he urged the couple to schedule a cesarean a week early. Danny and Johan agreed, and their son was born on February 9th, 1973. They named him Jordi, after the patron saint of Catalonia – a bold move, given that Franco had banned anything related to Catalan culture.


Cruyff was the saviour Barcelona needed, scoring twice in the 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid – a legendary performance against Franco's team.


 

The Legendary Number 14

Only the true greats are associated with the number they wear on their shirt. Cristiano Ronaldo in the number '7', Lionel Messi in the number '10'... But when the number stands synonymous with the person, that's special. And that's the bond between Johan Cruyff and the number '14'.


He wore the number 14 shirt for the Dutch national team, and it became iconic. The number's association with Cruyff is still revered in football culture, making it a lasting part of his legacy.


It was a mix-up that changed everything  Gerrie Mühren couldn't find his number '9' shirt before a game, so Cruyff handed him his '10' and grabbed the '14' shirt instead.


Ajax won 1-0, and Mühren wanted his '9' back – but Cruyff said, “Oh ho, Gerrie. Things went so well against PSV, let’s just stick with the same shirt numbers.”


Johan Cruyff stuck with the number '14' for the rest of his career, driven by superstition, and it became legendary.


Ask a Dutch person who 'number 14' was, and they'll know: it's Johan Cruyff. Forever Johan.


Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff and the number 14, a match made in heaven for exactly 14 years | BPI / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Forever Johan: Remembering a Football Legend


Tags :

No comments:

Leave comment here

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
Powered by Blogger.