For 2 days I've been doubting to start a topic about him here, but I decided that I would just do it. We've had more topics about football and Johan Cruijff was even a lot more than just football. Besides that he was the greatest football player of all time and one of the greatest football managers of all time, he was a beautiful human being. Always stayed normal, always took his time for people he didn't know and most of all, always took his time for the less fortunate during his Johan Cruyff Foundation events. Johan meant so much for so many people, not just for Ajax fans, or Barcelona fans, not only for Dutch or Spanish people, but for so many people worldwide, with his Cruyff Courts all over the world, trying to give children from all layers of our society a chance to play football and to give them a chance to escape daily misery and to be able to recognize talent.

I am an Ajax supporter and what he did for Ajax is incredible. We wouldn't have the name we still have worldwide, with him we conquered the world with maybe the best football ever played. 3 European Cups in a row. It wouldn't have happened without him. Because he was not only a player, he was a coach on the pitch as well. The ideas he had about football are unique. When he returned to Ajax as a manager, we won the Cupwinners Cup right away. And still, almost till his last breath, he tried to help Ajax to get better. He improved our academy the last couple of years as well.

And not only did he mean this much for Ajax. The way Barcelona is playing today, is because of him. When he arrived in Barcelona in 1974, they didn't win the league for 14 (!) years. And the season he arrived they were at a relegation position. That season, they won the league after all including a 0-5 victory against Real Madrid. WHen he came back as a manager there, they won the first Champions League ever and 4 titles in a row. When years later he came back there as an advisor, Barcelona was a midtable team, he came, gave Frank Rijkaard the position of manager and they won the league twice and the Champions League. Guardiola was a student of Cruijff and continued in the same way. We all know what happened.

Legendary was the game in 1980 when Leo Beenhakker was the coach, Ajax was down 0-2 against FC Twente. Johan Cruijff came down from the stands, told Beenhakker what to do and we won with 5-2.

Or the penalty he took in 2 times together with Jesper Olsen. Unique!

He also almost never got injured. Because he could think 2 steps ahead, he already jumped before the defenders could hit him.

Another beautiful thing from Johan Cruijff is always stayed true to 2 clubs only: AFC Ajax and FC Barcelona, he was never driven by money. Ye, when he was aged and bankrupt (his businessassociate screwed him over), he went to America for 2 years, before returning to Ajax, giving us 2 more national titles and when our clubpresident at the time, Ton Harmsen (quite an asshole) treated him like shit, Cruijff went to our biggest rivals, Feijenoord, for just 1 season and won the league there as well. At that time, the early 80s we had 2 youngsters in our team, called Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard.

Today I was at the Johan Cruijff Stadion, formerly known as Amsterdam ArenA, to pay Johan the last honour and write in the condoleance book. It was beautiful!

Anyway, Johan Cruijff will be forever in our hearts. Always #14!








Ajax fans made a tribute to Cruijff during a game last year.


I have my Amsterdam flag half-mast in honour to Johan Cruijff


Today at the Johan Cruijff Stadium


Today at the Johan Cruijff Stadium


Today at the Johan Cruijff Stadium


Today at the Johan Cruijff Stadium


Typical Johan Cruijff poses


Today at the Johan Cruijff Stadium

Johan Cruijff was also famous about his typical quotes:

"Playing football is simple, but playing simple football is the most difficult thing there is"
"The disabled people that do sport, they don't think about what they don't have but try to get better with what they do have. That is the same for me."
"Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster."
"Sometimes something's got to happen before something is going to happen."
"Coincidence is logical."
"You can't win without having the ball."
"Football is a game of mistakes. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins."
"Before I make a mistake, I don't make that mistake."
"Every disadvantage has its advantage."
"You have got to shoot, otherwise you can't score."
"Football is about having the best offensive play possible. I always like to play offensive football, and nobody will convince me otherwise."
"Italians can not beat us, but we can certainly lose against them."
"To win you have to score one more goal than your opponent."
"If I would've want you to understand, I would've explained it better."
"Football you play with your head, because the ball is much quicker than your legs."
"When Italians get 1 chance, they score twice."

Are just a couple.






The penalty:


And as last, The Cruijff Turn, cz he also has a turn named after him:

Beautifully written and very moving...Remco, you did a great job here!
Even if i didn't knew him so well because i am a relatively stranger to football, then after what i have read and seen on the news i see that he was truly a great man, not only as a player, but as a man and human.

May he rest in peace.

Thanks mate, I thought I jumped from one to another, cz I was still emotional and there's simply too much to say about him. Yesterday the Barcelona fans honoured him before and during El Clasico.



Today we'll do the same at Ajax. First we'll march from the place where our old stadium was situated, passing the house where Johan is born and finish at the Johan Cruijff Stadium. Before the game there will also be a choreography to honour him, followed by a minute of silence before the game and an incredible standing ovation in the 14th minute.

Excellent tribute.

Originally posted by Autumn_Opaline

Excellent tribute.

Thanks!

Here some photos from the march we walked last week Sunday before the game, from the place where the old stadium 'De Meer' was situated and where Johan Cruijff celebrated his and our victories, passing the house where Johan Cruijff grew up, to the new stadium, soon to be called Johan Cruijff Stadion. A total walk from about 5 km, which took nearly 2 hours.


The start, across the street of the old stadium 'De Meer'


Arriving at the house where Johan Cruijff grew up in Betondorp


Lots of flowers at the house where Johan Cruijff grew up


Lots and lots of flowers...


Thousends of fans taking part of the march


As far as you can see, many many people taking part of the Johan Cruijff March


So much people


Thousends and thousends of people


Arriving at the Johan Cruijff Stadion, where his huge photo on the stadium welcomes us


Ending the march with a big firework


The last honour to Johan Cruijff of the march

2 vids I made during the march:

And then there was the game. The choreography before the start, the speech from Jordi Cruijff, his son, the 1 minute of silence to remember Johan Cruijff and in the 14th minute a standing ovation when even the players, also from the opponent, took their own initiative to stop playing and clap their hands along with everybody else. To do basically the same (only this time the game wasn't stopped) in the 68th minute, the age Cruijff had when he died. Ajax won with 3-0, already reached at halftime and the 2nd half was very boring. But that wasn't important, the opponent PEC Zwolle didn't think so either. This game was only about honouring Johan Cruijff. Their coach only said afterwards: "This was historical. I'm so glad to have been able to be a part of it." And he was right.