Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff died today, aged 68
He was one of the greatest players of all time
Will LloydJohan Cruyff, the legendary Holland player, died of cancer at his home in Barcelona this morning.
Voted world player of the year three times in the 1970s, he led the Dutch to the World Cup final in 1974.
As a manager, his eight year spell in charge of Barcelona reinvented modern football. The team won the European Cup and four straight Spanish League titles during his reign. Describing Cruyff’s influence, Pep Guardiola said: “Johan Cruyff painted the chapel, and Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it.”
Journalists, managers and fans are tweeting tributes.
“On March 24 2016 Johan Cruyff (68) died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hard fought battle with cancer. It’s with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” read a statement on the World of Cruyff website.
He only made his battle with cancer public last year and just last month said he was ‘2-0 up’ in his match with lung cancer.
He was regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game. At Ajax he won three consecutive European Cups from 1971 to 1973 and was the linchpin for Holland as they were beaten in the final of the 1974 World Cup by West Germany.