Biography Johan Cruyff. Legendary FC Barcelona player and coach

Biography Johan Cruyff


Professional Soccer Player, Coach. Cruyff is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he excelled as an attacking midfielder and forward, significantly contributing to the Netherlands' emergence as a global soccer powerhouse in the 1970s through their "Total Football" philosophy. He led the Dutch national team to the World Cup final in 1974, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament's most valuable player despite their 2-1 loss to Germany. Over his international career, he earned 48 caps and scored 33 goals.

At the club level, he played for Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie, FC Barcelona in Spain's La Liga, and in the North American Soccer League for the Los Angeles Aztecs and Washington Diplomats, with additional stints at Levante in Spain and Feyenoord in the Netherlands. In total, he played 514 top-level matches, scoring 290 goals. With Ajax, he won 8 Dutch championships, 5 Dutch Cups, and 3 European Champions Cups. He also secured a Spanish Championship and a Copa del Rey with Barcelona, as well as another Dutch championship and Dutch Cup with Feyenoord. As a coach, he led Ajax to two Dutch Cups and a UEFA Cup.

His greatest coaching achievements came with FC Barcelona, where he won four Spanish championships, one Copa del Rey, one European Champions Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, with a runner-up finish in the UEFA Champions League. His individual accolades include three Dutch Player of the Year awards, three Ballon d'Or titles, two Dutch Sportsman of the Year awards, and the NASL MVP. He was named the European Player of the Century in 1999, included in the World Team of the 20th Century, and the World Soccer Greatest XI in 2013, among numerous other honors. As a coach, he was European Manager of the Year in 1987. He is credited with inventing the "Cruyff Turn," a move that allows a player to quickly execute a 180-degree turn with the ball. In recognition of his contributions to soccer, he was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit in 2010.

Cruyff was a heavy smoker until undergoing open-heart surgery in 1991 and ultimately he passed away from lung cancer.. 

Related pages:
Wikipedia page Johann Cruyff

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