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Johan Cruyff has died
- Thread starter swindonseagull
- Start date
Green Cross Code Man
Wunt be druv
What an amazing player he was, truly a joy to watch. As a little kid in the playground, there were two very popular choices whilst playing football. I'll be Pele or Cruyff.
boik
Well-known member
Oh no! The only replica shirt I have is a No 14 KNVB Holland shirt from the 70s.
Cantankerous bugger, but knew how football should be played and was able to get others to play the beautiful game. Almost single-handedly transformed Holland from European minnows who were "just happy if they beat Belgium" into world champion contenders. The Ajax team that won the European cup 3 times in a row and the 74 Dutch world cup team who deserved to win the ultimate prize were both of his making.
Anyone too young to know who he is should get themselves on youtube now.
Sad loss.
Cantankerous bugger, but knew how football should be played and was able to get others to play the beautiful game. Almost single-handedly transformed Holland from European minnows who were "just happy if they beat Belgium" into world champion contenders. The Ajax team that won the European cup 3 times in a row and the 74 Dutch world cup team who deserved to win the ultimate prize were both of his making.
Anyone too young to know who he is should get themselves on youtube now.
Sad loss.
SeagullofMalaysia
Well-known member
RIP, his sheer talent was enough to turn an average Dutch side into a terrorizing squad that dominated the world and began the influx of world class Dutch players (Van Basten etc.)
smudge
Up the Albion!
I was in Amsterdam early 82 & was lucky enough that Ajax were at home to Willem II. The great man was playing, so it was a privilege to see him in action. One of the all time greats.
Ludensian Gull
Well-known member
RIP Johan, the finest player I saw live.
Leekbrookgull
Well-known member
74 world cup squad could play abit. Very sad.
BensGrandad
New member
One of the all time greats RIP.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,265
Arguably the greatest European footballer ever, almost certainly the most influential man ever in European football.
Favourite son of the Netherlands, adopted son of Catalonia - two nations weep. A sad day for football.
Favourite son of the Netherlands, adopted son of Catalonia - two nations weep. A sad day for football.
Garry Nelson's Left Foot
Well-known member
Sad, sad news. Too young to see him play live but grew up with his legend.
People say that the greats of the old days would struggle in the modern game. From what I know of Cruyff, not only would he not struggle, he basically invented the modern game.
People say that the greats of the old days would struggle in the modern game. From what I know of Cruyff, not only would he not struggle, he basically invented the modern game.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Sad news.
Hopefully there'll be some documentaries knocking about in the next week or two celebrating his genius.
Hopefully there'll be some documentaries knocking about in the next week or two celebrating his genius.
Seagull58
In the Algarve
After 30 years, the truth behind Cruyff's World Cup absence
Dutch star reveals kidnap attempt on his family that changed his outlook on life
Graham Keeley in Madrid
Thursday 17 April 2008 00.02 BST
Last modified on Tuesday 5 January 2016 15.44 GMT
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For three decades, it has been one of the most enduring mysteries in world football. Why did Johan Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the three greatest players ever, decide that he would not play for Holland in the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina? The Dutch reached the final - despite being beaten by Scotland in the group stages - but lost 3-1 to the hosts, and many blamed Cruyff's absence for their failure to lift the trophy.
At the time, speculation over the reasons for his decision was rife. It was claimed he had fallen out with the Dutch football association over sponsorship. Or maybe he objected to Argentina's rightwing military junta.
Now 30 years on, Cruyff has finally broken his silence to reveal the real reason for his no-show on football's biggest stage.
The former Ajax and Barcelona player has revealed that he and his family had been the victims of a kidnap attempt a few months before the tournament.
He said several criminals entered his house in Barcelona at night and tied him and his family up at gunpoint.
The experience changed his attitude to life and was part of the reason he decided not to play in the World Cup.
In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Cruyff said: "You should know that I had problems at the end of my career as a player here and I don't know if you know that someone [put] a rifle at my head and tied me up and tied up my wife in front of the children at our flat in Barcelona."
The Dutch superstar managed to escape and the kidnap attempt was foiled. But Cruyff said it changed his outlook on life.
"The children were going to school accompanied by the police. The police slept in our house for three or four months. I was going to matches with a bodyguard," he said.
"All these things change your point of view towards many things. There are moments in life in which there are other values.
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"We wanted to stop this and be a little more sensible. It was the moment to leave football and I couldn't play in the World Cup after this."
He was living at the time with his wife, Danny Coster, and their three children in Barcelona when the kidnap attempt happened at the end of 1977.
After he announced that he would not be attending the 1978 World Cup, Cruyff's wife was blamed by some fans for putting him off playing. But in the radio interview, he said he wanted to put a stop to these rumours, which have surfaced again in a recently published book by another former Barca player, Carles Rexach.
Dutch star reveals kidnap attempt on his family that changed his outlook on life
Graham Keeley in Madrid
Thursday 17 April 2008 00.02 BST
Last modified on Tuesday 5 January 2016 15.44 GMT
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Google+
Shares
87
Save for later
For three decades, it has been one of the most enduring mysteries in world football. Why did Johan Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the three greatest players ever, decide that he would not play for Holland in the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina? The Dutch reached the final - despite being beaten by Scotland in the group stages - but lost 3-1 to the hosts, and many blamed Cruyff's absence for their failure to lift the trophy.
At the time, speculation over the reasons for his decision was rife. It was claimed he had fallen out with the Dutch football association over sponsorship. Or maybe he objected to Argentina's rightwing military junta.
Now 30 years on, Cruyff has finally broken his silence to reveal the real reason for his no-show on football's biggest stage.
The former Ajax and Barcelona player has revealed that he and his family had been the victims of a kidnap attempt a few months before the tournament.
He said several criminals entered his house in Barcelona at night and tied him and his family up at gunpoint.
The experience changed his attitude to life and was part of the reason he decided not to play in the World Cup.
In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Cruyff said: "You should know that I had problems at the end of my career as a player here and I don't know if you know that someone [put] a rifle at my head and tied me up and tied up my wife in front of the children at our flat in Barcelona."
The Dutch superstar managed to escape and the kidnap attempt was foiled. But Cruyff said it changed his outlook on life.
"The children were going to school accompanied by the police. The police slept in our house for three or four months. I was going to matches with a bodyguard," he said.
"All these things change your point of view towards many things. There are moments in life in which there are other values.
Advertisement
"We wanted to stop this and be a little more sensible. It was the moment to leave football and I couldn't play in the World Cup after this."
He was living at the time with his wife, Danny Coster, and their three children in Barcelona when the kidnap attempt happened at the end of 1977.
After he announced that he would not be attending the 1978 World Cup, Cruyff's wife was blamed by some fans for putting him off playing. But in the radio interview, he said he wanted to put a stop to these rumours, which have surfaced again in a recently published book by another former Barca player, Carles Rexach.
Peter Grummit
Well-known member
https://www.facebook.com/freekickerz/videos/1035324516514728/
Surely the greatest exponent of the outside of the foot pass, as this vid aptly demonstrates.
Lucky enough to see him play at Wembley, 77. RIP maestro.
PG
Surely the greatest exponent of the outside of the foot pass, as this vid aptly demonstrates.
Lucky enough to see him play at Wembley, 77. RIP maestro.
PG
Superphil
Dismember
Two stripes, not three. RIP to a legend.
el punal
Well-known member
I, too, had that privilege. Back in 1970 (71?) I was at Wembley to watch England v Holland (or the Netherlands, I never know which is correct), Cruyff played. It was the start of the reign of the Dutch Masters who introduced "total football" to the world. Amazing talent.
Gregory2Smith1
J'les aurai!
see him play at Wembley in 1977
a great dutch side,they won 2-0 at a canter
wonderful footballer
RIP
a great dutch side,they won 2-0 at a canter
wonderful footballer
RIP
Peter Grummit
Well-known member
When he went to Barca they hadn't won the League for 14 years. Franco was still repressing the Catalans. They were 2nd bottom in the League. They didn't lose a match the rest of the season and won the League including a 5-0 win in the Bernabeu.
That (Richie Reynoulds) is a Legend.
PG
That (Richie Reynoulds) is a Legend.
PG