You’ve surely already heard of legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, and his great achievements in football. However, only a few people really know about Cruyff’s personal history, and what route he took in order to get worldwide recognition. In this text, we’ll dig a little deeper into Cruyff’s early life, amongst other things such as:
- Where Cruyff’s talent was discovered
- The Reason Why He Wore Number 14
- Some of His Remarkable Achievements
We’ll also give you some free online best football betting sites and probabilities for top finishing in the two leagues which famous Canadian athletes played. Read on in order to find out more about these aspects, and don’t forget to check mightytips.com for more free betting content on a daily basis.
Before we get started, we’d just like to give a shout-out to betting expert and sports enthusiast Kate Richardson, who made the elaboration of this text possible by providing us with a reputable source of Johan Cruyff’s story.
You can view more on Kate by clicking here. Without further ado, let’s get to the content!
A boy from the street
Johan Cruyff was a real street football player. In this way, he was also noticed by Ajax’s youth coach, Jany van der Veen.
As a 10-year-old boy, he was accepted as a member of Ajax. This was the start of a wonderful career. After having played in the youth teams of Ajax for seven years, Cruyff made his debut in the first team in 1964 at the age of 17.
The match against GVAV from Groningen was lost 3-1, but Cruyff scored the only goal for Ajax that day. A year later he became national champion with the highest youth team, Ajax A1.
After many negotiations, Cruyff signed a professional contract with the Amsterdam club in the same year. Unfortunately, he was unable to draw due to a fracture in his left fibula. After his return against DSW, in which Cruyff scored both goals, and definitely earns a base place in the first team.
Cruyff ensures Ajax’s international breakthrough
In his first years with Ajax’s first team, Johan Cruyff became national champion three times in a row: in 1966, 1967, and 1968.
The club entered Europe and could play in the European Cup. The legendary match against Liverpool in the fog ensured the international breakthrough of Ajax and Johan Cruyff. In 1969 Ajax was the first Dutch club to reach the final of the European Cup.
Unfortunately, the match was lost 4-1 to AC Milan, but it was an unprecedented performance by the club.
Piling Up Trophies at Ajax and Barcelona
With Ajax, Johan Cruyff became national champion eight times, winning the Dutch cup five times, the European Cup once, and the Supercup three times.
In his career at FC Barcelona, he was very successful as well, but fewer trophies were won. In Spain, Cruyff would only become national champion once and win the Copa del Rey once.
He is also highly prized individually. Top scorer, footballer of the year, sportsman of the year, European footballer of the year, the best player of the 1974 World Cup and we could go on and on.
The Eternal Number 14
Why did Johan Cruyff always wear number 14? That custom arose out of superstition. In 1970 Ajax became the national champion again and they won the cup. After a period of injury, Cruyff will make his comeback against PSV on October 30.
By coincidence, he wears a shirt with the number 14 that day. The match was won 1-0 and out of superstition, he would wear that number from that moment on. In 2007 Ajax announced that within the club no one will ever play with number 14 again, retiring the iconic Cruyff’s number as a form to show respect to the legend.
The end of an illustrious career
In 1984 Johan Cruyff hung up his football boots for good. At least as a player. Ultimately, Cruyff returns to the football field, but as a manager. He has managed Ajax for three years and spent eight years with his beloved Barcelona.
The world was shocked when, on March 24, 2016, the news broke that Cruyff died of lung cancer. How old is Johan Cruyff at the moment of his death? Cruyff was 68 at the time of his passing.
Odds for Ajax and Barcelona Winning their Domestic Leagues
As for the moment, it looks like only Ajax is still in the title race in their respective domestic leagues. The Johan Cruyff Stadium club, Ajax, sit second in the table of the Dutch Eredivisie, while Barcelona are 6th in La Liga, with a 17-point gap for leaders Real Madrid.
The odds show that the Johan Cruyff arena team is 1/2 to win the Dutch League, while Barca is 25/1 to get a top finish at La Liga Santander. Things are looking more positive for Cruyff’s boyhood club to make it than for Barcelona.
Check the recommended website at the beginning of this text in order to get free betting tips from professional tipsters!
Conclusion – Johan Cruyff Made his Mark
If you’re getting prizes everywhere you go for your game, you’re rightfully one of the best footballers of all time.
But even after his football career, Johan Cruyff turns out to be a great person. With his Johan Cruyff Foundation, he committed himself to getting young people moving to make sports and games possible for all children in our society.
It doesn’t matter whether you have a disability or not. Sport is the foundation to do what you love to do.
We can say that his entire football career, his drive, and his passion for the sport made Johan Cruyff world famous.