Johan Cruyff

 Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, also known as internationally Johan Cruyff (25 April 1947 24 March 2016 - 25 April 1947) was a Dutch professional footballer and manager. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or three time as a player in 1971, 1973, and 1974. [4] Cruyff was a proponent of the philosophy, also known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of the game, and also one of the most influential figures in modern football as well as one of the greatest managers in history. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Dutch football rose from an unprofessional and unremarkable level to become a powerhouse in the sport. [10][11Cruyff was a key player in the Dutch football scene. Cruyff was the captain of the Netherlands to the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. [12] After finishing third in UEFA Euro 1976, Cruyff was unable to take part at the 1978 FIFA World Cup after a kidnapping plot targeting him and his family members in their Barcelona home stopped him from playing football. Cruyff began his career with Ajax where he took home eight Eredivisie title titles, three European Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup. In 1973, he relocated to Barcelona for a record-breaking transfer fee, which helped the team achieve La Liga in his first season, and also taking home the Ballon d'Or. Cruyff quit playing football in 1984 and was a successful manager at Ajax, then Barcelona. He remained an important advisor to both clubs during his time as a coach. Jordi his son played professionally with Barcelona. Cruyff won the European Player of the Century award in 1999. He was second to Pele in the World Player of the Century poll. He was third in a vote organised by the French magazine France Football consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect their Football Player of the Century. He was in the FIFA World Cup Dream Team 2002 in 1998 as well as the World Team of the 20th Century 2003 in 1998. In 2004 he made the FIFA 100 list of the greatest players alive.