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Yohan CruijffFootball player
Date of Birth: 25.04.1947
Country:  Netherlands |
Content:
Biography of Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was a Dutch footballer, coach, and former player for the Netherlands national team, where he played 48 matches and scored 34 goals. Throughout his career, he played a total of 752 matches and scored 425 goals.
Early Life
Johan was born on April 25, 1947, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He grew up in the post-war devastation and his family lived in Betondorp, the Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, near the old Ajax stadium. His father owned a small shop where he sold vegetables and fruits, while his mother worked as a laundress at Ajax. Johan and his brother Henry were not allowed to play football in the streets, so they had to do it at school. Despite his slender build, Johan easily outplayed all his peers, and even those who were several years older. When he wasn't playing with the ball, coming up with and practicing his first tricks, he would disappear to the stadium. At the age of ten, Johan was enrolled in the Ajax youth academy. The coaches had to persuade them to accept him due to his slim physique. But even at that time, Johan was incredibly fast, skillful, and had a remarkable vision of the field. Before the ball even reached him, he already knew what to do with it. He was remarkably mature for his age and sometimes even started advising the team on how to play. Initially, some of the players were annoyed by a young kid telling them what to do, but soon they all realized that having Johan in their lineup would help them win everything possible. And success did not wait long, as soon as Cruyff became a regular player for Ajax.
Chronology
- November 15, 1964: Cruyff made his debut for Ajax in a match against "G.V.A.V." Despite a 3-1 defeat, Johan scored his first goals for the club.
- January 24, 1965: Rinus Michels, who played a crucial role in Cruyff's development, was appointed head coach of Ajax. Michels immediately built the entire team's game around Johan, and a few years later, Ajax became the strongest team in Europe.
- May 15, 1966: Cruyff won his first championship title with Ajax.
- September 7, 1966: Cruyff made his debut for the Dutch national team and scored his first goal.
- November 8, 1966: In his second match for the national team, Cruyff became the first player to be sent off. He was constantly fouled by Czechoslovakian defenders, and after being brought down again, Johan kicked the referee in frustration.
- May 28, 1969: Cruyff played in his first European Cup final, which Ajax lost 4-1 to Milan in Madrid.
- November 29, 1970: Cruyff scored six goals in a match against Alkmaar in the Dutch league.
- June 2, 1971: Ajax won their first European Cup, defeating Panathinaikos in the final at Wembley.
- November 21, 1971: Cruyff scored the fastest goal of his career, just nine seconds into a match against Telstar.
- August 19, 1973: Cruyff played his last match for Ajax.
- September 1, 1973: Cruyff signed a contract with Barcelona, making him the most expensive player in the world at the time.
- October 28, 1973: Cruyff made his debut for Barcelona, scoring twice in a match against Granada.
- April 7, 1974: After 14 years, Cruyff returned to the World Cup, where the Dutch team reached the final but lost to West Germany. Cruyff won a penalty for the Netherlands, which was converted by Neeskens. However, his performance in the final was not up to his usual standard, which many believe was a contributing factor to their defeat.
- March 26, 1977: Cruyff scored his last goal for the Dutch national team in a match against Belgium.
- October 26, 1977: Cruyff played his last match for the Dutch national team against Belgium.
- May 27, 1978: Cruyff played his final official match for Barcelona. At the same time, he declined an invitation to participate in the World Cup in Argentina.
- November 23, 1979: Cruyff made his debut for the Los Angeles Aztecs in the North American Soccer League.
- December 6, 1981: After returning to the Netherlands, Cruyff resumed playing for Ajax and became a champion six months later.
- May 14, 1983: Due to a conflict with the club's president, Cruyff left Ajax again. The president publicly stated that Johan Cruyff's services were no longer needed.
- August 21, 1983: Cruyff signed a contract with Feyenoord, Ajax's arch-rival, and won another Dutch championship with them a year later.
- May 13, 1984: Cruyff played his last match as a footballer.
- June 1, 1986: Cruyff obtained his coaching license and started coaching Ajax.
- May 14, 1987: Cruyff won his first title as a coach, as Ajax defeated Lokomotiv Leipzig in the Cup Winners' Cup final.
- January 4, 1988: Cruyff left Ajax after another conflict with the club's management.
- July 1, 1988: Cruyff signed a contract with Barcelona.
- May 10, 1989: Cruyff won his first major title as Barcelona coach, defeating Sampdoria in the Cup Winners' Cup final.
- February 27, 1991: Cruyff suffered a heart attack, which almost ended fatally. He had to quit smoking as a result.
- May 12, 1991: Under Cruyff's leadership, Barcelona became Spanish champions for the first time.
- May 20, 1992: Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, with a famous free-kick goal from Ronald Koeman giving them a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria. It was Barcelona's first-ever win in the prestigious European club competition.
- May 14, 1994: Barcelona became Spanish champions for the fourth consecutive time under Cruyff's guidance.
- May 18, 1994: Barcelona suffered a 4-0 defeat to Milan in the Champions League final, the most unsuccessful day in Cruyff's coaching career.
- May 18, 1996: Cruyff was fired from Barcelona. The official reason given was that Barcelona had not achieved anything in the previous two seasons. In reality, Cruyff was forced to leave due to a deteriorating relationship with President Nuñez.
