Johan Cruyff
Former Dutch International footballer, born 25 April 1947 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is currently the manager of the Catalan national team. He is a three time Ballon d’Or winner (1971, 1973 and 1974), a record he shares with only three other players, namely Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi. Cruyff was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded as one of the great players in association football. Cruyff became highly successful as manager of both AFC Ajax and FC Barcelona; and remains an influential advisor to both clubs.
During his playing career he played for AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante UD, and Feyenoord.
He helped Ajax to 8 league titles (1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1983), 5 Dutch Cups (1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1983), 3 European Cups (1971, 1972, 1973), and 1 Intercontinental Cup (1972) as a player.
With FC Barcelona he won 1 league title (1974) and 1 Copa del Rey (1978), as well as 1 league title and the Dutch Cup with Feyenoord (both in 1984).
In 1999, he was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and was voted second behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll. He was also named as the greatest football player of all time by the Bleacher Report for the combination of his skill and his revolutionary application of Rinus Michels’s total football to the sport.
*In 1969 he also recorded a Pop/Schlager song by the name of Oei Oei Oei (Dat Was Me Weer Een Loei) which was released on Polydor in the Netherlands.
