Johan Cruijff

Hendrik Johannes Cruijff () - often spelled Cruyff outside the Netherlands); born April 25, 1947 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football trainer/coach and former star player, regarded as one of the greats of the game. Named three times European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, 1974) and European Player of the Century by the IFFHS in 1999, he was a silky exponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football, developed by his trainer Rinus Michels. He is known for his atrocious quotes.

Career

As a player

Cruijff played successively for Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante UD and Feyenoord. As a player, Cruijff was known for his technical ability: his mesmeric ball skill, speed and acceleration, the ability to change direction at will and his tactical insights make him one of the most gifted footballers of all time. He has been named as one of the best football players of his generation, alongside Maradona, Garrincha, Pelé, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer, although he did not win a cup or tournament with his national team. As a Dutch international he played 48 matches, in which he scored 33 goals. In his second Dutch national team match, a friendly against Czechoslovakia, Cruijff was the first Dutch international ever to receive a red card, and be sent off. He received a suspension from the Dutch KNVB.

The highlights of his football career as a player include winning the European Cup three times (1971 - 3, with Ajax), the Ballon d'Or (European Player of the Year) thrice (1971, 1973 - 4), and leading the Netherlands to a runners-up medal in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. In 1978 he refused to participate in the World Cup in Argentina because it had suffered a military coup only two years earlier and he refused to play in a country where torture and murder were continuing to be perpetrated by the junta.^* The Netherlands emerged runners-up again that year.

At the age of 32 he signed a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He had previously been rumoured to be joining the New York Cosmos however, the deal did not materialise. He did however play in a couple of exhibition games for the Cosmos. He stayed at the Aztecs for one season, finishing as the NASL's Most Valuable player of 1979. The following season he moved to the capital to play for the Washington Diplomats, he played the whole 1980 campaign for Washington, leaving soon after the start of the '81 season.

As a manager

Johan Cruijff has managed two football clubs after his active career as a player, Ajax and Barcelona. As a manager he led Ajax to victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup (1987) and Barça to four league titles (1991 - 4), as well as FC Barcelona's first European Cup (1992). This record made him the most successful coach in FC Barcelona's history. His open support helped candidate Joan Laporta to victory in FC Barcelona's latest presidential elections. He continues to be an adviser for him, although he holds no official post at FC Barcelona right now, sparking controversy about his real role and influence.

Cruijff used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day prior to undergoing double heart bypass surgery in 1991, after which he quit smoking and began chain-sucking Chupa Chups lollipops instead. He also led the anti-smoking campaign developed by the Health Department of the Catalan government.

In November 2003 Cruijff invoked legal proceedings against the publisher Tirion Uitgevers, over its photo book Johan Cruijff de Ajacied, which used photographs by Guus de Jong. Cruijff was working on another book, also using De Jong's photographs, and claimed unsuccessfully that Tirion's book violated his trademark and portrait rights.

In 2004 he ended sixth place in the election of De Grootste Nederlander (The Greatest Dutchman).

The Dutch Supercup is named after him: Johan Cruijff-schaal.

His son, Jordi Cruyff, has played for teams such as FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Alaves. Cruijff was his manager at Barça.

Quotes

By Cruijff himself

During his career Cruijff also became a national phenomenon on account of his comments. His expressions are considered as phrases of such simple, stark logic that it either qualifies as sheer brilliance or ultimate cheesiness. It has become cult in the Netherlands, where his form of speech was dubbed "Cruijffiaans" (eng: Cruyffian). His influence on the Spanish language has been subject of the documentary En un momento dado released in 2004. Some examples:

"Football is simple, but the most difficult is simple footballing."
"You are just even valuable as the time you are on TV"
"Italians can not beat us, but we can certainly lose against them." (Italianen kunnen niet van ons winnen, maar we kunnen wel van ze verliezen.)
"Without the ball, you can't win." (Zonder de bal kun je niet winnen.)
On the Teamgeist football for the 2006 FIFA World Cup: "A ball is an essential part of the game." (Een bal is een essentieel onderdeel van het spel.)
"Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster." (Snelheid wordt vaak verward met inzicht. Als ik eerder ga lopen dan de rest, lijk ik sneller.)
"Before I make a mistake, I DO NOT make that mistake." (Voordat ik een fout maak, maak ik die fout niet.)
"Every disadvantage has its advantage." (Elk nadeel heb z'n voordeel.)
"To win you have to score one more goal than your opponent." (Om te winnen moet je 1 goal meer scoren dan je tegenstander.)
"I'm not religious. In Spain all 22 players make the sign of the cross before they enter the pitch. If it worked, then it would always be a draw." (Ik geloof niet. In Spanje slaan alle 22 spelers een kruisje voordat ze het veld opkomen, als het werkt, zal het dus altijd een gelijkspel worden.)
"Coincidence is logical." (Toeval is logisch.)
"And if you score, then it's in." (En als je scoort, dan zit ie erin.)
On Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi: "Look, actually he can't play football at all. He's just always in the right position." (Kijk, eigenlijk kan ie helemaal niet voetballen. Hij staat alleen altijd op de goeie plek.)
On moving from Ajax Amsterdam to Barcelona: "I don't want to be a thief of my own wallet." (Ik wil geen dief van mijn eigen portemonnee zijn.)

About Cruijff

"He was the better player, but I won the World Cup" — Franz Beckenbauer
"Pelé was the best, but after him comes Johan. He is the best player Europe ever produced" — Franz Beckenbauer
"He is the best player I have ever seen." — Ron Atkinson ^*
"Maradona was absolutely the best player I have ever played with - but Johan Cruyff was the best player I ever played against" — Mario Kempes ^*
"I think along with Johan Cruyff, Pelé is the best player I have ever played against, and with Diego Maradona, the best players I have ever seen." — Alan Ball ^*
"Johan Cruyff was my idol. He is the best player I have seen in my lifetime" — Michel Platini
"I loved the Dutch in the '70s, they excited me and Cruyff was the best. He was my childhood hero; I had a poster of him on my bedroom wall. He was a creator. He was at the heart of a revolution with his football. Ajax changed football and he was the leader of it all. If he wanted he could be the best player in any position on the pitch." — Eric Cantona ^*

External links

Cruyff Classics — Cruijff's official shoe brand