Why is Johan Cruijff so important in Dutch football?
Tien jaar zonder Johan Cruijff, onze voetballegende
A2 Dutch listening practice · Dutch · Picked for people who know a little
Johan Cruijff (1947–2016) is the footballer the Netherlands still holds up as its greatest sportsperson. He played for Ajax (1964–1973, three European Cups), Barcelona (1973–1978), and the Dutch national team that lost the 1974 World Cup final but invented Totaalvoetbal, the fluid position-swapping style still associated with Dutch football. The “Cruyff Turn” is named after him. As a coach he built the Barcelona Dream Team and pushed La Masia’s youth philosophy. His aphorisms (“voetballen is heel simpel”) are quoted constantly.
In this NOS Jeugdjournaal segment, kids on a Capelle aan den IJssel Cruyff Court reflect: “Iedereen op dit Cruijff Court weet wie Johan Cruijff was.”
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-NL 2014 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Dutch and international football coverage (NOS Sport, De Telegraaf, The Guardian)
- ▸On Cruijff’s career and foundation (Johan Cruyff Foundation, Ajax, FC Barcelona)
- ▸In Dutch football-history coverage (De Volkskrant Sport, NRC Sport, Voetbal International)
- ▸In Dutch sports documentaries and biographies (Andere Tijden Sport, VPRO, Het Parool Sport)