Perhaps Johan Cruyff’s greatest legacy is in the fact that his ultimate goal was to play enjoyable and entertaining football both as a player and coach. To him it was imperative that the players and fans alike have a good time. Mention the heartbreak of 1974 and he would still point to the fact that it was the brilliant Dutch that played spellbinding and innovative football and it is that which left a lasting impression and is fondly remembered.
This he felt was reward enough for their endeavor, despite the obvious disappointment of not taking home the biggest prize in world football. Last week the entire footballing world was shocked by the sad news of the passing away of Johan Cruyff. For the Dutch, not only was he their best footballer ever but a national icon who helped shape Dutch culture and put Holland on the map. It is a very big loss for them and indeed for the rest of the footballing world. For Barcelona he was the Messiah, not once but twice. In his first spell he broke the monopoly of Real Madrid and helped strengthen the position of Catalonia during a tense political period in Spain. In his second, he did nothing less than totally (no pun intended) shape the way modern football is played today.
The all-conquering Barcelona that we have had the pleasure of watching in the past decade have one man to thank. The principles Johan Cruyff laid there during his managerial reign are still followed, and to great success at that. In a world where a player’s physical attributes were given a lot of importance, he believed that skill and intelligence were of higher value. He had a vision of how football should be played and did not shy away from giving the players, that he felt were right, the opportunity and the stage to excel. La Masia, which is revered around the world for producing the best talents in football, can trace its success to Cruyff and the systems he established there. He insisted on all the age groups playing a similar style of football and asked for the inclusion of players regardless of size and strength. These ideals can be seen implemented even today and also copied in various academies around the world.