Life Stories
Johan Cruyff
Beginnings
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff was born in East Amsterdam in 1947, a working-class district of a city damaged by war. He joined the youth system at Ajax and quickly showed exceptional talent. He played for the First XI in 1964, aged 17. By 1966 he was a star and in 1967 Ajax won the Dutch league title.
Prophet of Total Football
Along with Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff made the concept of “Total Football”. Cruyff led Ajax to win the European Cup in 1971. They won it again in 1972. Then Johan Cruyff migrated to Spain, sold to Barcelona for a world record transfer fee. At FC Barcelona, Cruyff’s arrival helped transform the club. The team beat Real Madrid and won the Spanish league. Cruyff became UEFA Footballer of the Year. In 1974 Cruyff led The Netherlands to the World Cup final, losing to West Germany 2-1.
Legacy
Johan Cruyff the player faded slowly after 1978. He moved to the USA to play for Los Angeles Aztecs and had a second spell with Ajax, as well as national rivals Feyenoord, before retiring in 1984. But he then launched a second stellar career as a manager, first with Ajax and then with FC Barcelona. At both clubs Cruyff inspired a special style of playing. Barcelona won La Liga four years running. Johan Cruyff died in 2016 due to cancer. Now there are Johan Cruyf football stadiums in both Amsterdam and Barcelona.
Thinking points
Johan Cruyff was a genius as a player, and a revolutionary manager who transformed the style of the teams he managed. Few footballers are revered as both coach and manager at one club; but Cruyff did it with two, first in Amsterdam and then in Barcelona. Cruyff’s migration from The Netherlands to Spain made him an “honorary Catalan” who gave his son, Jordi, a Catalan name.
Educators could look at the life story of Johan Cruyff and work with young people to consider these questions:
- How have individuals, like Cruyff, built a European culture of football?
- What does the story of Cruyff tell us about a changing Europe after the Second World War?
Find out more
Find out more about Johan Cruyff by reading official tributes to his life and legacy by Ajax and Fc Barcelona. You can also watch a youtube video from FIFA official channel, Johan Cruyff FIFA classic player. Lastly we recommend checking out the Cruyff Foundation, which – as his legacy – supports and develops sports activities for children all over the world.
COVER Image
Johan Cruyff, 30 April 1974 (Photo: Dutch National Archive).
Life Story
72
LIFE STORIES To discover now
Do you wanna know more?
HISTORY CAN BE EXPLORED THROUGH THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS
Stories
Browse our collection of stories about football history and inclusion. With the history of football being made up of millions of stories, of individuals and communities, of movements and processes, we offer stories that can inspire our cultural conversations today.
Videos
Get to know untold stories where individuals are making history with football. When faced with insurmountable challenges, individuals past and present can use football as a cultural force to foster positive change in society. We honour these individuals and tell their ‘untold’ stories in short videos.
Educational Resources
Explore our innovative educational resources that use football’s history, heritage and legacy to engage young people. The resources include ready-made lesson plans and historical source collections for school history education as well as toolkit with activities for non-formal settings.
Trending Stories
Refugees
In the wake of the 2015 migration peak, activists and volunteers across Europe have been involved in supporting refugees, sometimes with the simple act of offering space and friendship to participate in football through grassroots clubs to help newcomers integrate.
Fergus Suter: Working-Class Professional
Fergus Sutter was one of the first (semi)professional footballers, playing against aristocratic players. A story of origins.
LATEST POST You may also be interested in

December in Football
Waiting for UEFA2020, we provided you with a 365-day #onthisday series of posts. Here is what you enjoyed reading in December!

Parr: A Life of Football
The story of Lily Parr sketches out the earlier days of female football in England and beyond.

What you think you know about football is wrong
Enter a journey along known, and less well-known stories in football history. Dr. Kevin Moore’s work will be good with students too!

El “Clásico” and Nationalism
Linking the history of Spain, football and nationalism through a world-famous example of Real Madrid – Barcelona rivalry.

The Right to Play
We made this documentary about the Milan-based football club St Ambreous. This is the story of why we wanted to retell this story, and how we did it.

Simply the best?
The most prestigious football prize is awarded annually. What does looking at its history tell us?