| NETHERLANDS | |
| 1964-1984 | |
| Ajax (1964-1973, 1981-1983) Barcelona (1973-1978) Los Angeles Aztecs (1979-1980) Washington Diplomats (1980-1981) Levante (1981) Feyenoord (1983-1984) | |
Known as “Pythagoras in Boots” because of his mastery of passing angles, Cruijff was instrumental to the Dutch philosophy of “Total Football.” As such, Cruijff’s position can be difficult to ascertain, since he could score, pass, and defend, and moved all over the pitch, depending on where he was needed. However, his passing and scoring skills made him most effective as an attacking midfielder.
He was a great scorer, as evidenced by his 267 goals in 366 appearance for Ajax. In all, he scored over 400 goals during his career for club and country. As mentioned earlier, he was a tremendous passer, able to see the field unlike most of his peers and deliver accurate passes from anywhere on the pitch. He could dazzle too, as he perfected the “Cruijff Turn” in which he faked a pass or cross, forcing a defender to commit to it, only to drag the ball behind his planted foot and turning away from the flat-footed defender.
At Ajax, he was the leader of one of the greatest teams of all time. He won the treble in 1972, and nearly repeated the task the following season. In all, he won eight Eredivisie titles, five KNVB Cups, and three consecutive European Cups from 1971-1973. He added a Liga title while with Barcelona to his trophy cabinet, and won a Eredivisie title with Feyenoord. He also racked up the individual honors, taking home the Ballon d’Or in 1971, 1973, and 1974.
Despite playing on some extremely talented international teams, Cruijff was never able to win the World Cup. Their best chance to win came in 1974, when Cruijff (who won the Golden Ball that year as the Best Player in the World Cup) led the Netherlands to the World Cup Final against West Germany. The Dutch had sailed through their previous matches, with Cruijff scoring three goals. He set up the opening goal against West Germany in the Finals, drawing a foul inside the box that resulted in a penalty during the 2nd minute of the match. West Germany, however, did a great job man-marking Cryuff, shutting him down with the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Berti Vogts, and others.
After retiring, Cruijff became a successful manager, winning two KNVB Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup with Ajax and four consecutive La Liga crowns while with Barcelona. Despite his often stormy relationship with Ajax (he left for bitter rivals, Feyenoord after a salary dispute and was supposed to join the club as technical director until it fell through at the last minute), he remains a club icon whose number 14 jersey was retired.
