Johan Cruyff dies aged 68

The team at Pan Macmillan has been deeply saddened by the tragic news announced today that Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

 

Throughout his playing career, Cruyff was synonymous with ‘Total Football’, a style of play crafted by the coach at Ajax with Cruyff the on-field conductor, and his legacy lives on in teams across Europe from Barcelona to Bayern Munich.

 

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or three times, and led the Dutch national team to the final of the 1974 World Cup, and received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.

 

Cruyff started his career at Ajax where he won 8 national titles and three European Cups. In 1973 he moved to Barcelona for a world record transfer fee, winning La Liga in his first season and was named European Footballer of the Year. After retiring in 1984, Cruyff became a highly successful manager of Ajax and then Barcelona.

 

In 1999 Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century, and came second behind Pele in the World Player of the Century poll.

 

Considered to be one of the most influential figures in football history, Cruyff’s style of play and his football philosophy has significantly influenced many notable managers and players including Guardiola, Wenger, Eric Cantona and Xavi. Spanish football’s recent successes at both club and international level have been cited by many as evidence of Cruyff’s impact on contemporary football.

 

My Turn, Cruyff’s autobiography, will be published in October 2016. It will tell the full story of Cruyff’s unparalleled career and the philosophy that shaped his game and that of generations of footballers, managers and fans who followed.

 

Robin Harvie, Publisher, Non-fiction