Seven years without Johan Cruyff and his immortal mark on Barça and in football is still intact

This Friday 24 March fulfil 7 years of the demise of Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, better known like Johan Cruyff​, one of the most important footballers of all the history, and one of the trainers that changed for ever the way to play to the football. This last possibility is really an affirmation when it reviews the history of the FC Barcelona and like the Dutch changed it so much inside the field, as in the bench culé.

During his stage like player, surely the trainer Rinus Michels was the one who more and better forged to the that is considered better European player of the history, a for nothing lower data. From the mind of the technician was born an idea to work of integral way to Johan and power to develop to the maximum that thin figure of the later captain of the Barça, something that allowed him hold several of the hardest entrances that saw by that period.

The birth of a legend of the world-wide football

His way in the football would begin roughly in 1957, when with 10 years ingresó in the academy of the Ajax, place in which also it turned into an absolute legend -as in the Camp Nou- attaining even that the current stadium of the Dutch team carry his name (Cruyff Sand). Three Glass of Europe of consecutive way (71-71) accompanied of three Balloons of Gold consecrated to Johan Cruyff in the team that saw him be born, although his history still would have much more for writing.

In the summer of 1973 would arrive to the FC Barcelona, by roughly one million euros, to happen the next five years of his career and change for ever the history of the Barcelona team. Although the by then attacker only could conquer a League and a Glass during his stage like player culé, seeded from the first moment the bases of what now is one of the best clubs of the world.

His experience like graduated of the academy of the Ajax did that Johan carried his philosophy of integral football to the City Condal, and gave a second air to a team that already was of the most important of Spain, but that was not consolidated like a purely winning institution, especially to continental level. With three victories in Europe in his back, that precisely was one of the missions of Cruyff, that would fulfil with his purpose, although from a different role.

The change of identity created by Johan Cruyff

Like player of the Barça squandered talent and personality in each party, confirming always his impossible personality to break and wanting to build something much bigger that the achieve a trophy at the end of the season. 180 parties and 60 goals of the Dutch in the Camp Nou are not reference of the magnitude that represented a change of idea and identity with the 'total football' pregonado that Johan would bring to the Catalan capital.

The own limitations of the period perhaps do not allow to appreciate of audiovisual way the tremendously 'crack' that resulted to be that humble boy of a neighbourhood of Ámsterdam. However, himself that there is sufficient material to be able to appreciate the tremendously 'lethal' that it could be Cruyff on a field of game, still with movements that seemed simple and without too much preparation, attained always his aim in the lawn. The following video of the channel of Youtube 'FCBComps HD' exemplifies it of way almost perfect.

All that talent that desbordaba no always could be very accompanied inside a Barça that by those years was far to have the big economic capacity that would have from mediated of the decade of the 80's. Precisely by this, from that moment the Barcelona club wanted to begin to bet by the training of players and few years afterwards would arrive the reward of so wise decision.

The career of Cruyff like player culé would culminate in the summer of 1978, where began an adventure by the football of the United States, very far of course of what is the MLS at present. It would happen in brief by the Raise in a short cession and finally would return to Low Countries to play two season with the Ajax -of the 81 to the 83- and withdraw a year later like player of the Feyenoord, where would close an extraordinary way like footballer with a doublet of league and glass.

Once culminated that stage of Johan player, where of course also was the big figure of the 'Orange Mechanical' in the World-wide of 1974 being runner-up, would arrive the moment of the Cruyff trainer. Almost of immediate way to his retreat began like Sportive Director in the Ajax and of fast way wanted to leave clear which was his main idea to play to the football: while more offensive, better.

Like this it assumed like trainer of the Dutch team, lasting little more than two seasons and being considered like the best trainer of the world with his characteristic system of 3-4-3, and having the quarry like big priority. On 4 May 1988 it would arrive the moment that changed all, or at least almost everything for the modern history of the FC Barcelona.

Johan Cruyff trainer

Without the course of trainer approved, but with the ideas more than clear, the now míster would arrive to the Camp Nou to finish a 'revolution' that the same had begun 15 years backwards. In the middle of an institutional crisis, very resembled the one who lived when it arrived like player, Cruyff assumed and as many times it says "the rest is history".

With an at all simple start and in the middle of his attempt that the players -new in his big majority- understood the philosophy, the Dutch was accumulating some Recopa, some Glass and a League in the 91, especially of the hand of Laudrup and Stoitchkov, the first big stars of that 'Dream Team'. It would arrive 1992 and with that wonderful sentence of "go out here outside and enjoy", the Barça topped champion of Europe with a goal in the extention of Ronald Koeman.

That triumph in the now Champions League would be the perfect ingredient so that it finished of 'cook' a change of face in all the FC Barcelona like club to continental level and until world-wide. The figures of world-wide size followed arriving and from The Masia were consecrating in the first team increasingly players, like the Guardiola, Puyol, Xavi or Iniesta, and of course Messi, that would be authentic referents of a full era of titles and joys inside the surroundings culé.

The historical change that Johan gave to the world of the football, as well as to the Barça, follows absolutely intact to the day of today. The Ajax consolidated during the decade of the 90's and principle of the 2000's again like an authentic European power, and now keeps on being one of the best academies of the world. Each Dutch trainer tries to follow the philosophy created by Cruyff, although they have followed remaining to the doors to be champions of the world.

In the Camp Nou the history has not been distinct. After the exit of Cruyff happened trainers of his same 'school' and little more than a decade afterwards the student, Pep Guardiola, surpassed to the teacher when conforming one of the best teams of all the history. All repeats from recently with Xavi Hernández in the bench, that still in the middle of a very distinct football, tries to go on with an idea clear and trying that all that that learnt during his career, follow doing present in each party that plays the Barça.

By all this and much more:

Homage Camp Nou