Biography of Johan Cruijff

The origins of the total European football

April 25, 1947
March 24, 2016
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff-more known simply as Johan Cruijff -was born in the Netherlands in Amsterdam on April 25, 1947. His playing career began when he enters the Ajax youth system at the age of ten. His technical skills and his inventive talent are immediately noticed by Vic Buckingham coach that subjects it to a tough workout and built according to his needs, especially the public. In fact the little Johannes immediately shows some physical imperfections, corrected with a tough workout that involves the use of sandbags placed in the suit. Training works, but has the talent to be the boss and, despite the frailty of the body, ingenuity and speed make it unique.
In 14 years, in the category of students, WINS his first championship and 16 goes into files of the first team of Ajax. His favorite team going through a difficult time and risks relegation. The last defeat against Feyenoord decreed the exoneration of Buckingham coach replaced by former Ajax player Rinus Michels. As a former player and fan of Ajax the new coach begins a new era in Dutch football: the "total football", where each player can be replaced by another without that this implies a problem with the tactic of team play. Each player has to be able to play any role. This mode of play you will sew good on to Cruyff who plays as a striker, but has no difficulty to change field position.
The rise of the team is also his rise. After three years of this tactic, Ajax won three consecutive championships and the KNVB Cup. Until 1973, its history is intertwined with the victories of Ajax: six Championships, three European cups, one Intercontinental Cup and two UEFA Super cups. His career with the national team is very respectable and indelibly marked its name in football history. Cruijff is the captain of the team since the early ' 70. With the Dutch team reaches the apex of the 1974 World Championships results and repute, that take place in West Germany. With assist and goal that still have a place in the prestigious film archives of the sport, its Netherlands Brazil Argentina, East Germany and he does her, before facing West Germany in the final host. The latter will be the winner of the world title. After the 1976 European Championship, where the Netherlands finishes in third place, Cruijff decides to quit the national team.
Two years before the death of Francisco Franco, Spain decides to open the borders by accepting foreign football contamination. Real Madrid decides to move to purchase Cruijff, but the Dutchman has other projects and focuses on Barcelona. The negotiations go on for several months until August 1973, when you signed the agreement. Johan Cruyff joined the team of his life. Barcelona suffers that year but the purchase of Dutch marks a turning point. The relationship with his former coach Rinus Michels, also passed him in the team red garnet, creates a winning combination. The rise of the team is impressive with the crowning of the La Liga Championship title that Barcelona had not won by 14 years. The city loves him and gives him the nickname "the Flying Dutchman" when he sees heel overhead kick and make a goal against Real Madrid. Michels leaving Barcelona, and Cruijff starting problems. The new German coach Hennes Weisweiler, countered making life very difficult. The Dutch let his team and retired at 31 years old. The love for football is difficult to contain, and after three years he returned to play for the American League. Who urges him to return to football is the father-in-law Cor Coster, father of fotomodella Danny Coster that Cruyff married in 1968.
After the American experience returns to Spain and play for the Levant until 1985 when he retired for the second time by the football scenes. His final retirement just as a player, is in fact called by the President of Ajax to serve as a coach. After two victories in the Cup winners ' Cup tournament in 1988 leaving Ajax and as a sort of back to back in his football career comes as coach at Barcelona. WINS everything after rebuilding from scratch his team: four times Spanish la Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup winners ' Cup and one European Cup. In 1996, due to some problems with feet, decides to retire from coaching role; It seems a final decision but this time love for football leaves him alone and after thirteen years, in 2009, reprises his role as coach dealing with Liga catalana. He then became Honorary President of Barcelona, a position he lost with the arrival of the new property. Back in recent years to fill the role of senior manager of Ajax until November 16, 2015, when it leaves for differences with the company. Among the various nicknames have lumbered yourselves to him during his playing career, there are "the white Pelé", coined by journalist Gianni Brera, and "the Prophet of the goal", which became the title of a documentary film on his playing career, directed by Sandro Ciotti.
Among the most important are his election as Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974; He was also elected as second best player of the 20th century, after Pelé. After contracting lung cancer in the last months of 2015, dies in Barcelona (Spain) on March 24, 2016, a month before he turned 69 years. It is remembered as one of the strongest players in the history of football, and one of the very few to have won the European Cup by both player and coach.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.