Johan Cruyff, widely considered one of the greatest footballers in history, has died at the age of 68 after losing his battle with cancer.
The Dutchman won three European Cups as a player with Ajax as well as three Ballon d’Or titles (1971, 1973, 1974). He then led Barcelona to their first European Cup title as a manager in 1992.
The iconic player also led the Netherlands to the 1974 FIFA World Cup final.
Johan Cruyff 1947-2016 (RIP)
— Johan Cruyff (@JohanCruyff) March 24, 2016
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Here, Sport360 looks back at his finest moments in the game.
AJAX (As a player)
At the Dutch giants, Cruyff won seven Eredivisie titles but most notably three European Cups in a row.
Cruyff’s career at Ajax ran in parallel to manager Rinus Michels implementing the highly successful Total Football philosophy.
Michels went to Barcelona in 1971 and Cruyff followed two years later.
BARCELONA (As a player)
Cruyff moved to the Camp Nou in the summer of 1973 for a then world-record $2 million. (Dhs7.35m)
He spent five years at the Spanish giants, and although he only won a solitary La Liga title and the Copa del Rey crown, Cruyff was very much at the peak of his powers.
His performance during Barca’s 5-0 demolition of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in February 1974 forever cemented his status as a Blaugrana legend.
NETHERLANDS
Although Cruyff’s international career was relatively short, his performances in the famous Oranje jersey were memorable.
Winning 48 caps for his country, Cruyff scored 33 goals, and captained his team to the 1974 FIFA World Cup final – the only time he played at the tournament.
Cruyff was the star of the tournament but couldn’t quite do enough in the final as West Germay ran out winners on home soil.
BALLON D’OR
Cruyff was also a three-time winner of the Ballon d’Or award, taking the award in 1971, 1973 and 1974. At the time, the award recognised the best player in Europe, rather than being a worldwide award as it is today.
CRUYFF TURN
A prolific goalscorer, and a great creator for others, Cruyff even had his own trick, famous to this day. The ‘Cruyff turn’ was perfected by its inventor, who finished his playing career in Holland with spells at Ajax and Feyenoord.
AJAX (As a manager)
After retiring from the game in 1984, Cruyff returned to his boyhood club to take up the reigns on a managerial basis – and went onto win two league titles and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup during his three-year tenure.
A natural football-thinker from the touchline, he was then lured away back to Barcelona in 1988.
BARCELONA (As a manager)
Cruyff led Barcelona to their first European Cup title in 1992, and in total, coached the Catalan club for eight years – creating a football dynasty which also yielded four league titles.
He was sacked by Barcelona in 1995 but remained influential at the club for the rest of his life – offering advice for many of today’s stars such as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. His legacy continued when Pep Guardiola became coach – it was Cruyff who gave the midfielder his debut and instilled in him a philosophy that manifested itself in the Catalans’ famous Tiki-Taka approach during his tenure.
