WELCOME JOHAN

This day marks the senior debut of one of the greatest players in Europe (possibly the World), Johan Cruyff, who as a 17 year old first crossed the white line on this day in 1964, when Ajax played GVAV in the Dutch League, but they lost 1-3. The local crowd were privileged to see, however, Johan score the Ajax consolation goal. That year, Ajax finished in their lowest position since the establishment of professional football, in 13th.

In the following season, however, Johan scored 25 goals and Ajax won the League!! Cruyff was the genius around which manager Rinus Michels built his revolutionary Total Football philosophy and Ajax won 14 trophies in the following seven years.

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1964–1973	Ajax	245	(193)
1973–1978	Barcelona	143	(48)
1979	Los Angeles Aztecs	22	(14)
1980–1981	Washington Diplomats	29	(12)
1981	→ Levante (loan)	10	(2)
1981–1983	Ajax	36	(14)
1983–1984	Feyenoord	33	(11)
Total		518	(294)

International career
1966–1977	Netherlands	48	(33)
Managerial career
1985–1988	Ajax
1988–1996	Barcelona
2009–2013	Catalonia

The photo below is Cruyff in 1965 (he was born in 1947).

In 1959, Cruyff's father died from a heart attack. His father's death had a major impact on his mentality. As Cruyff recalled, in celebration of his 50th birthday, "My father died when I was just 12 and he was 45. From that day the feeling crept stronger over me that I would die at the same age and, when I had serious heart problems when I reached 45, I thought: 'This is it.' Only medical science, which was not available to help my father, kept me alive." Viewing a potential football career as a way of paying tribute to his father, the death inspired the strong-willed Cruyff, who also frequently visited the burial site at Oosterbegraafplaats!! easily said!!

 His mother began working at Ajax as a cleaner, deciding that she could no longer carry on at the grocery without her husband, and in the future, this made Cruyff near-obsessed with financial security but also gave him an appreciation for player aids. His mother soon met her second husband, Henk Angel, a field hand at Ajax who proved a key influence in Cruyff's life.

He has said: Winning is just one day, a reputation can last a lifetime. Winning is an important thing, but to have your own style, to have people copy you, to admire you, that is the greatest gift.