RIP to arguably the most significant figure in the history of football. One of the game's greatest ever players, managers and thinkers. His passing leaves a huge void.
I had heard of the cancer only a few months ago through @Puck in this forum. Shocked that the end came so fast. In terms of playing and coaching, Johan Cruyff is football's single most illustrious figure. One of the six or seven canonical players of all time, plus one of the greatest manager in modern football alongside Shankly, Michel, Tele Santana, Sacchi and Guardiola. I don't think anyone else will ever match his legacy in both roles. To use @Dearman 's classification, KING Platinum. RIP to a genius and it's a very sad day
Such a shame. Of both the loss and the medical lobby opposing IV vit C. There's millions of unnecessary victims here. RIP JOHAN
I knew he had been diagnosed but it is shocking to see he has passed already. Foltball loses one of its biggest legends and most relevant figures. RIP.
Some interesting comments that Guardiola said a year ago (before his disease): It's on video: http://nos.nl/video/2094991-guardiola-dit-barcelona-kun-je-niet-los-zien-van-cruijff.html International club trophies and finals per coach: http://www.rsssf.com/players/ec-coach.html Jonathan Wilson (of that famous tactics book) http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football...ole-of-modern-football_sto5368491/story.shtml
The Michael Jordan of football on one hand, and on the other the Steve Jobs of football. No other player has influenced football quite as he did. He will be missed, but never forgotten. RIP.
One of the most prominent legend of football. As player, coach and innovator. Terrible loss RIP Johan
Rest in peace. A true legend of the sport, PLUS one of the four or five best players ever. Today's Barça, in playing style and more importantly in philosophy, is in many ways his brainchild. What a match they must be playing there with Puskas, Di Stéfano, Best, Eusébio and Cruijff!
Cruyff was relatively young, so hearing of his passing particularly stunned me. When one ranks the five greatest soccer players of all time, he is on that list. Cruyff was one of those mystical sports figures who resonated me, a resonance reinforced by a special memory. You see, I had the privilege of seeing his first game in America live, at San Diego Stadium (now Qualcomm, I think), when he was playing for the LA Aztecs in the old NASL. It was in July of 1979. In the 79th minute of a scoreless draw, he put a spin on a corner kick that, at the time, seemed to me to jump right over the keeper's hands as he went to snare it, wafting onto the waiting head of an Aztec player for a 1-0 lead. It was a signature display of Cruyff's superior skills. San Diego then brought in Peter Nover off the bench, and lofted desperation pass after desperation pass towards the head atop his 6'5" frame. Desperation bore dividends; with five minutes to play Nover headed in a tying goal. The NASL played 15 minutes of sudden overtime then, and as the last 15 seconds ticked off, the SD speedy winger raced up field and slid a pass along the ground at the top of the box to Nover. He cradled it with his right foot, herky-jerky-ed, tapped the ball to his left, spun and fired a low shot to his right into the goal. 22,000+ throats started to yell; 22,000+ eyes looked up to the clock to see "0:01" showing; 22,000+ pairs of lungs resumed a roar -- and then 22,000+ hearts nearly leaped out of their chests as the home team's customary post-goal cannon BOOMED. But, though Cruyff lost that game, 2-1, like the only World Cup Final in which he played, he left a profound impression upon me of his superior skill and his power to transform a soccer match. May his family be speedily comforted.
Maybe this needs a thread of its own but I always thought that if analogies about playing style/abilities and career trajectories have to be made then it is closer to this as a tentative feeling (comparison is not about how good and dominant they were in their respective team sports; playing with 5 is in itself fundamentally different than playing with 11): Pelé = Michael Jordan (physical dominance, complete attacking package, scoring dominance, very skillful but maybe both not the most magical at their respective ball sports). It would be far from the first time that this comparison is made. It has been done for ~25 years. Maybe someone as Bradman in cricket. Maradona = Lemieux, Magic Johnson (Pete Maravich). Simply put: the most 'magical' ball handlers in their game among the super greats (or who are at least perceived that way). There are also similarities in career trajectory/highs/lows between Lemieux and Maradona. Cruijff = Gretzky. Sometimes questioned size and strength, but very cerebral and blessed with fantastic stamina. Clever passing games and angles; moving team results consistently upwards; both generally also super efficient and accurate with their shots (despite differences in scoring dominance). Key similarity in career trajectory is that they left their home country and dominant club team (for a markedly worse team abroad) at the age of 26 and 27 respectively. With different success levels by the team they left behind though. But that's a tentative, sketchy and rough feeling about abilities (athletic, cerebral, technical) and superficial career trajectory. Even without accounting for dominance it's of course true that no two individual competences and careers are really the same.
Would point out that Gretzky or Jordan did not have anywhere near the management success Cruyff did.Great players typically make poor to adequate managers/coaches. He is truly sui generis.
I'm not very knowledgeable about American sports but maybe Yogi Berra comes to mind as a great player, great full-time coach/manager combination? (also because of his quotes he came to mind...) Dunno about 'sui generis' but there aren't that many, true. There are also very few sports figures with a minor societal/political influence (or a great influence like Owens, Ali etc.). And it sort of came at an immediate cost for him. His 1970s house in Barcelona had a iron door, yet was intruded an odd 20 times, with both him and his wife held gunpoint a dozen of times. E.g. Washington Post 28/03/1981 When he and Barcelona were on the way to a second league title in 1976-77, his sending off and subsequent three match ban caused anger and riots (they came one point short, lost 5 points in those three games without him). http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/total-footballer-part-virtuoso-and-part-messiah-34571687.html