Johan Cruyff. Forever immortalised as Total Football’s mastermind, the talisman of the Netherlands in the 70s and as one of the greatest football players ever to grace the game.
This article aims to explain how Johan Cruyff has shaped the game we know and love today, and how his career still greatly affects us now.
Early Football Career:
Cruyff grew up in a working class area in Amsterdam, just 5 minutes from the Ajax stadium.
He joined his boyhood club, Ajax, at the age of ten, under youth trainer Jany van der Veen.
His debut was given to him in 1964, under Vic Buckingham, but it was next season where he first started making a real impact in Amsterdam.
Rinus Michels took over as coach in 1965, and handed Cruyff Ajax’s second ever professional contract (after Piet Kiezer). Him and Cruyff formed a special relationship, and their relationship formed the basis of the invention of total football. Cruyff and Michels took Ajax from a struggling, badly run club to European champions in just 6 years.
Ajax, with Cruyff as talisman, went on to win 15 trophies in his first stint, including three back-to-back European cups. His success led to two ballon d’or wins, in 1971 and 1973, at
Ajax, and he was widely considered to be one of the best players in the world. However, following the appointment of head coach Kovacs, Cruyff felt that Ajax had taken backward steps, and left for Barcelona in 1973.
Later Playing Career:
Cruyff reunited with Michels at Barcelona, winning another ballon d’or in 1974 along with the La Liga that year. His most notable accomplishment was on the international stage, however.
Michels and Cruyff led the Netherlands to an unexpected final in 1974, where they unfortunately succumbed to defeat at the hands of Beckenbauer’s West Germany. The Dutch, led by Cruyff, had still shown the world the brilliance of total football.
While Cruyff did not have the same success later in his career, he is recognised on footballing ability alone as one of the greatest of all time, for his technical skill and tactical acumen on the pitch. However, it is what came after his playing career that sets him apart.
Management Career:
Cruyff is considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time, and developed Rinus Michels’ great theories even further to great success, most notably with Barcelona.
He started in Ajax, slowly developing players such as Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten.
While not having extraordinary success, Cruyff still won three…
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