Barcelona Legend Johan Cruyff Dies Aged 68

Following a long bout with throat cancer, former Ajax and Barcelona forward Johan Cruyff passed away aged just 68.

(Image credit: The Guardian)

His official website reports that Johan Cruyff “died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hrad fought battle with cancer. It’s with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”

The Dutch attacking maestro represented Netherlands from 1966 until 1977, and in the process achieved a second place finish at the 1974 World Cup. But his most notable football contributions were made during his club career, which spanned a total of two decades.

(Image credit: Proven Quality)

Cruyff graduated from the Ajax youth academy and joined the first team in 1964. He made an almost immediate impact within the team as he scored a total of 25 goals in his second professional season. This was followed by an astonishing 41 goals across all competition next year, which marked his highest goal tally during his illustrious career.

Ajax swooped title after title, winning both the domestic league and the cup multiple times. However, the real European success came in the early 1970s, when they clinched the European Cup three times in a row, from 1971 until 1973, and Johan Cruyff proved instrumental to their success.

Following the third European Cup triumph in 1973, he was transferred to Barcelona at the age of 26, where he spent the next five seasons. His time with the Catalan giants is quite memorable for “his acrobatic strike against Atletico Madrid and the 5-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in 1974, among many other great moments, will live long in the memory of Barca fans,” according to Barcelona’s site.

Despite showcasing God-like skills on the ball, Johan Cruyff only managed to clinch one La Liga title (1974) and one Copa del Rey crown (1978). After Barcelona, he has short stints with two sides in the US, before returning to his first club Ajax, where he added another two domestic league titles to his trophy-laden cabinet.

The Flying Dutchman (Image credit: Old School Panini)

After retiring as a player he assumed a managerial role with Ajax in 1985, and only three years later he was appointed the new Barcelona boss. He led the Catalan club for eight years until 1996, during which time he achieved unprecedented success with the “Dream Team.” Under his guidance Barcelona won the their first-ever Champions League trophy in 1992, while also claiming La Liga four times in that period (1991-1994).

After leaving his post as Barcelona’s manager, Johan Cruyff took up position that would highlight his love and admiration for Catalonia. Barcelona’s site states that “in September 2006, the Government of Catalonia awarded him the Cross of St. George and he later became the manager of the Catalan national football team.”

Check out the video below that showcases some of his greatest tricks and goals during his playing career.