Barça fans and football fans across the world were saddened by the news of the passing away of Dutch master, Johan Cruyff. His influences on and off the pitch were significant in Barça becoming a world power. Barça fans will forever indebted to “El Mister” for all that he has done for Barça. Thank you Don Johan, you will be missed.
For many of the Blaugrana faithful, the sad news that Johan Cruyff was no longer with us was difficult to fathom. Cruyff was our modern father that paved the way for the club’s successful era. Who knows where the club would be if Barça president José Luis Núñez did not hire him as Barça’s new manager back in May 4th, 1988. Now, as the club dominates the football world, our father figure will no longer be there to enjoy it.
Cruyff, the Barça player was amazing. He brought hope and faith to the Blaugrana fans and he repaid those believers with the club’s first league title in 14 years. His performance at the Santiago Bernabéu where Barça demolished Real Madrid 5-0 will never be forgotten. Many felt that same hope and faith when he was appointed as Barça’s new manager.
He ushered in a new era where success was expected. He won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in his first season and the club would win at least one trophy for the following five years. He finally ended the wait for that elusive European Cup at Wembley in 1992. His “Dream Team” deserves its place in football history not just for their accomplishments, but for their unforgettable style of play that Rijkaard and Guardiola tried to duplicate with some minor tweaks during their successful eras.
Cruyff made us believe in this team and his pupils restored that faith when they were hired as Barça’s managers. We wanted to go back to that beautiful style that mesmerized us when we saw the great man coach from the dugout in his unforgettable rain coat while enjoying a lollipop in his mouth. He made it happen with reliance on homegrown talent and by signing some amazing world class players. That’s why I worry about the club when the likes of Iniesta, Messi and Busquets retire from the game and we are left to wonder who will replace them from La Masia.
Thank you, Johan, for relying on the likes of Chapi Ferrer, Sergi, and Pep from La Masia to be part of the first team. That’s why I always wanted to see the likes of Montoya and Bartra feature more for the club over the likes of Douglas and Vermaelen. Because that’s what Cruyff would have done. Those who grew up and breathed that system should be the ones getting rewarded by fighting for the team’s colors with the first team.
Thank you, Johan, for making football a work of art in motion on the pitch. Where it became more about entertainment than it was about results. That’s what differentiated Barça from Los Blancos. One team wanted to win by putting on a great show while the other seemed interested in just winning. Of course, there were some great results and some horrible results but it was best to lose playing this way than play not to lose.
Thank you, Johan, for showing us courage in the face of death. Cruyff underwent open heart surgery while managing the club. He recovered and then kicked his smoking habit while inspiring others to kick the habit with a clever television campaign of him kicking a box of cigarettes around and enjoying lollipops on the bench instead of puffing on a cigarette. So when we learned last fall that Cruyff was diagnosed with lung cancer, we hoped the tough, intelligent, and complex beloved legend would triumph yet again.
Sadly, his passing caught us off guard. In a way, it seems fitting that he would leave us at a time when Dutch football is regressing while no longer relying on “Total Football” that the Oranje was once famous for. He leaves us at a time when Barça have become successful without fully relying on La Masia and drifting from the entertaining style that we enjoyed for a more results oriented style. His vision and influence no longer appreciated in the two kingdoms where he was king.
In a 1977 interview with Dutch reporters Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp, Cruyff once said about playing for FC Barcelona:
“It is a challenge. But you know that when people cheer on a Sunday when you do well and you win, it means more to them than simply the pleasure of winning. It’s not just a game, football; it’s not just about the people on terraces. You know what struck me most when we won the championship? They didn’t say “congratulations”, they said “thank you”. That was really something. That will always stay with me.”
You will always stay with us, Johan Cruyff. Your memory and legacy will live on at FC Barcelona regardless of who is in charge. Thank you, Cruyff. You will be missed, Don Johan.
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