Johan Cruyff
The mind behind Total Football: three Ballons d'Or, three European Cups.
- Position
- Forward
- Club
- Retired
- Born
- 25 April 1947
- Birthplace
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Height
- 1.78 m
About Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was a Dutch forward and attacking midfielder, born in Amsterdam in 1947 near Ajax's ground. He became the on-pitch embodiment of Total Football, the fluid system in which any outfield player could take up any role. With Ajax he won three consecutive European Cups (1971 to 1973) and eight Dutch titles, and took three Ballons d'Or. His 1973 world-record move to Barcelona delivered the club's first La Liga title in 14 years.
At the 1974 World Cup he led the Netherlands to the final and won the Golden Ball despite finishing runners-up; the Cruyff Turn he unveiled that tournament is still coached today. As a manager he was even more influential, building Barcelona's Dream Team that won four straight La Liga titles and the club's first European Cup in 1992, laying foundations Pep Guardiola later carried on. He died in March 2016, aged 68.
Club career
- 193 goals; three European Cups.Ajax1964–1973
- World-record fee; the 1974 La Liga title.Barcelona1973–1978
- Return leg; two more Dutch titles.Ajax1981–1983
- A league and cup double in his final season.Feyenoord1983–1984
Honours
- 3European CupAjax, 1971 to 1973
- 3Ballon d'Or1971, 1973 and 1974
- 8Eredivisiewith Ajax, plus one with Feyenoord
- 1La LigaBarcelona, 1974 as a player
Records
Frequently asked
Sources
Reference facts (honours, records, career) are sourced above. Club and squad details reflect the season this page covers and can change.
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