About Johan Cruyff
A professional footballer and coach from the Netherlands, Hendrik Johannes Cruyff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) had an estimated net worth of $4 million. In 1971, 1973, and 1974, Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or three times.
- Name: Hendrik Johannes Cruyff
- Nationality: Dutch
- Date and Place of Birth: April 25, 1947 in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Position: Attacking midfielder, Second striker
- Clubs: Ajax (1964-1973), Barcelona (1973-1978), Los Angeles Aztecs (1979-1980), Washington Diplomats (1980-1981), Levante (1981), Ajax (1981-1983), Feyenoord (1983-1984)
- International Career: 1966-1977 (48 caps, 33 goals)
Cruyff joined the pantheon among legends like Pelé, Diego Maradona, Ferenc Puskás, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane as a player for Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands.
Many considered Johan Cruyff to be the greatest player to ever represent Europe. If the two greatest players in the history of the game are South Americans Pele and Maradona, Cruyff has a strong case for winning the European championship.
He had won several trophies as a player, in fact. By the time he decided to retire, he could boast the trophies to match his talent, having won three European Cups and eight Dutch league medals with Ajax while playing a style of soccer known as “Total Football”
Only individuals who possess true class merit having movements named after them. One such player was the Dutchman, whose “Cruyff Turn” has become one of soccer’s most recognizable moves.
The Years at Ajax
When Cruyff was 12 years old, his father passed away from a heart attack, but his mother had convinced Ajax to accept her son into the youth development system. Even though many would have been severely impeded in their ambitions to succeed as professionals by such a setback, Cruyff continued to advance thanks to the fitness regimen designed by coaching icon Rinus Michels to strengthen this fragile youngster.
When he was 17 years old, he scored his first goal for the Amsterdam team in a 3-1 loss to Groningen. Cruyff was the cornerstone as Ajax dominated domestically from 1966 to 1973, winning the league title no less than seven times during this time, despite the club finishing in the poor position of 13th in 1964.
Cruyff combined the skills of a playmaker, a poacher, and a superb wide player. His versatility was a crucial component of Michels’ “Total Football” movement, which he created. The Ajax team is recognized as one of the most thrilling to have ever played the sport, but unlike other practitioners of the “beautiful game,” Ajax won the trophies to back its guiding principles.
Early in the 1970s, during this illustrious period, he also won three consecutive European Cups and three Ballon D’Or titles (European Player of the Year awards).
It was a fantastic accomplishment for such a talented player to come so close to 200 goals during his first stint in Amsterdam, and it led Barcelona to sign him in 1974 for a then-record US$1 million transfer price.
The Camp Nou Crowds’ Favorite Thing
Cruyff immediately gained respect in Catalonia with his claim that he selected Barca over Real Madrid because he could not play for a side connected to Franco’s dictatorship in Spain.
He played a part in the club’s 5-0 thrashing of bitter rivals Real in his first season there, which contributed to the league title.
The 1978 Spanish Cup was the only other medal Cruyff won while playing for Barcelona, but he is remembered as a very important player for the way he saved the club’s 1973 campaign.
He will also be recognized for a breathtaking goal he scored with his heel with the ball at neck height against Atletico Madrid.
In Motion
Cruyff moved frequently beginning at the age of 32 after lengthy stays at Ajax and Barca. His first stop was the Los Angeles Aztecs. After being named Player of the Year in the North American Soccer League, he transferred to the Washington Diplomats, where he had a significant impact once more. After a brief stint at Levante, he returned to Ajax in 1981. Cruyff relived his glory days in Amsterdam, winning two league championships and the Dutch Cup while playing brilliant soccer that brought back memories of his formative years at Ajax.
But when the team declined to extend him a new contract, Cruyff left and joined Feyenoord, where he won the league and cup in his one season.
Worldwide Career
Cruyff’s international career did not last very long; he made his debut in 1966 against Hungary and retired at the age of 30 in 1977. However, 33 goals in 48 games was a respectable return, and his best moment wearing the Oranje jersey came in the 1974 World Cup when the squad wowed fans with their “Total Football.”
Cruyff scored three goals while playing as a center forward and diving deep to get the ball, including one against Brazil in a 2-0 semi-final victory. When one of his signature runs resulted in Uli Hoeness fouling him in the area early in the final versus West Germany, he displayed class. Johan Neeskens made the ensuing penalty kick, but the Germans rallied to defeat their opponents 2-1.
Due to differences with the Dutch federation and a desire to spend more time with his family, Cruyff’s World Cup appearance at that tournament turned out to be his last. He did assist the Netherlands in their World Cup qualification in 1978, but a kidnapping attempt in Barcelona the year before the competition led to his international retirement.
The erratic Dutchman has always had a strong personality and been very much his own man, like many greats. Having managed the team to four league titles and a European Cup in the 1990s, he is open-minded about the club even today while residing in Barcelona.
Death
Cruyff passed away at the age of 68 on the morning of March 24, 2016, at a hospital in Barcelona, surrounded by his wife, kids, and grandchildren. Johan Cruyff was valued $4 million when he passed away in 2016.
