Dubai: Johan Cruyff, who helped turn the previously forlorn Netherlands into a world football powerhouse in the 1970s and is considered one of the sport's all-time greats, died Thursday in Barcelona after a long batter with lung cancer, according to his personal website. He was 68.
Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or, then given to Europe's top player, in 1971 with Ajax and in 1973 and 1974 with Barcelona after joining the La Liga side on what was then a world-record transfer fee. He led Ajax to three consecutive European cups from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, he helped Barcelona win its first La Liga crown since 1960.
On the international stage, Cruyff was one of the more prominent proponents of a Dutch-born tactical movement called Total Football in which every player on the field could assume any position at any time (except the goalkeeper). The Netherlands advanced to the 1974 World Cup final in its first appearance on soccer's biggest stage since 1938, and Cruyff was named the tournament's top player despite his team's 2-1 loss to host West Germany in the final. He also helped the Netherlands qualify for the 1978 World Cup but didn't end up playing after he was shaken by a kidnapping attempt on his family in 1977 while in Barcelona. The Dutch again finished second after losing to host Argentina.
At age 32, Cruyff helped soccer gain a toehold in the United States by signing with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League, winning league MVP honors in his one season in Southern California. He then moved to Washington, playing one season and scoring 12 goals for the Diplomats.
Cruyff later found great success as a coach, leading Barcelona to 11 trophies in La Liga and European play between 1988 and 1996.