In Memoriam Johan Cruijff

In Memoriam Johan Cruijff

03/27/2016

With the death of Johan Cruyff, Ajax has not only lost the greatest player in its rich history, but probably the biggest “Ajacied”.

Johan Cruyff played during his first period as a player from 1964 to 1973, 323 official games and scored 254 goals. Ajax prizes during the period include 6 national championships and three Europa Cup I wins. Although he signed a contract for seven seasons in the summer of 1971 and grew to become a world star at Ajax was there was not always as much support and appreciation from management and the players that you could expect. At the end of the period at Ajax there was a lot of misunderstanding about the decision of Johan Cruyff to, after advice from his doctor, not join for the away game against Bayern Munich. This played a role in the decision of the players to appoint through a vote Piet Keizer, and not Johan Cruijff, as new captain and also exclude Johan Cruyff a place in the newly introduced players board. Cruyff departed shortly afterwards to Barcelona where his reputation as world footballer further strengthened, while Ajax started struggled for several seasons.

Johan Cruyff returned late 1981 as a player with Ajax for one and a half season. Through 46 official matches and 16 goals he contributed to two national championships, and ensured that not only stadium De Meer, but all the stadiums in the Netherlands where Ajax played were once again full with supporters . Ajax did not see enough perspective for another season with Cruyff, after which he moved to Feyenoord and became domestic champion once more time.

After a short break Johan Cruijff returned to Ajax in the summer of 1985, this time as coach, although he was at first, because he did not have the right paperwork required by the KNVB, officially technical director. In the Eredivisie, Ajax had to acknowledge the superiority of the more wealthy PSV, but Ajax played attractive football, won the KNVB Cup twice and one time the Europa Cup II. In season 1987-88 president Ton Harmsen introduced a number of requirements for a contract extension for Johan Cruijff that were unacceptable to him making Cruijff decided to resign halfway through the season. After this he went to Barcelona to work as a coach where he had major successes, including a victory in the Europa Cup I, and laid the basis for the Barcelona football that we see today.

Johan Cruijff kept being involved with Ajax. A few years ago this led to the so-called Velvet Revolution. Recently he stept away from Ajax, as Ajax as in previous situations was not willing to work according to the vision of Cruijff.

Cruijff showed during his whole life to be a great Ajacied and he always came back to Ajax, which would undoubtedly have happened again, if we had not lost him to the terrible disease cancer. A great loss to football fans around the world, and to Ajax.



Filed under: Johan Cruijff

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