Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (born 25 April, 1947). Who is also known as Johan Cruyff. He is a retired Dutch footballer and was until recently the manager of the Catalonia national football team. He played as an attacking midfielder for the Dutch national football team, Ajax, Barcelona, Levante, Ajax and Feyenoord. Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or three times, which was in 1971, 1973 and 1974. In his professional club career he scored 291 goals in 520 appearances. And for national team Cruyff scored 33 goals in 48 appearances. After his retirement from playing , Johan Cruyff became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later Barcelona. In 1999, he was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) IFFHS.
Johan Cruyff joined Ajax youth system on his 10th birthday. And he made his first team debut against GVAV on 15 November 1964 in the Eredivisie. That year his club Ajax finished in their lowest position since the establishment of professional football, 13th. Johan Cruyff really started to make an impression in the 1965–66 season. He founded himself as a regular first team player after scoring two goals against Door Wilskracht Sterk on 24 October 1965 in the Olympic stadium. In the 1966–67 season, Ajax won the league championship, and also won the Dutch Cup (KNVB), for Cruyff's first "double." Johan Cruyff ended the season as the leading goalscorer in the Eredivisie league with 33. He won the league for the third successive year in the 1967–68 season. Cruyff was also named Dutch footballer of the year for the second successive time, a feat he would repeat in 1969. Cruyff played in his first European Cup final against Milan on 28 May 1969. After his nine successive year In the summer of 1973, Johan Cruyff was sold to FC Barcelona for 6 million guilder. Cruyff scored 190 goals in 240 appearances for Ajax. He played his last match for Ajax on 19 August 1973. During his time at FC Barcelona, Johan Cruyff scored one of his most famous goals, The 'Phantom' Goal, against Atlético Madrid. He scored 48 goals in 143 appearances for FC Barcelona.
At the age of 32, Cruyff signed a lucrative deal with the FC Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. After playing one year Cruyff chose to sign with Spanish club Levante. Because of Injuries and disagreements with the administration of the club Cruyff returned to play in his homeland, rejoining Ajax on 30 November 1980.In his 10 appearances for Levante Cruyff scored just two goals.He played for Ajax two years (1981–1983). In the 1982–83 season, Ajax also won the Dutch Cup. At the end of the 1982–83 season, Ajax FC decided not to offer Johan Cruyff a new contract. This angered Johan Cruyff, who responded by signing for AFC Ajax's archrivals club Feyenoord. Cruyff's season at Feyenoord was a successful one in which the club won the Eredivisie for the first time in a decade, part of a league and Dutch Cup double. At the end of the season Cruyff announced his final retirement. He ended his Eredivisie playing career with a goal against PEC Zwolle on 13 May 1984. Johan Cruyff played his last game in Saudi Arabia against Al-Ahli SC, bringing his club Feyenoord back into the game with a goal and an assist.
No comments:
Post a Comment