The great Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff marked a before and after in the history of FC Barcelona, with a legacy that is still present today both at Camp Nou and among the millions of LaLiga fans around the world.
Cruyff's unique achievements as a player and coach of FC Barcelona made him one of the most influential figures in the history of LaLiga, thanks to his revolutionary ideas about the game and the strength of his personality to drive that change.
As incredible as it may seem today, Barcelona had not won a LaLiga title in 13 years when Cruyff arrived at Camp Nou as a player, already in the 1973/74 season. The team had started the championship in a terrible shape and was in the relegation zone. But the former Ajax forward quickly boosted the team, winning the LaLiga title with a ten-point lead.
After five seasons in Catalonia, he moved to the North American Soccer League (NASL), first with the Los Angeles Aztecs and then with the Washington Diplomats, before returning to LaLiga with Levante. But the charm of Camp Nou was always too strong for Cruyff to resist, and he returned as a coach in 1990. FC Barcelona was once again in a difficult situation, with only one LaLiga title won in the almost two decades since Cruyff's debut and with the legendary Quinta del Buitre team of Real Madrid - with players like Emilio Butragueño, Michel, and Hugo Sánchez - having won five consecutive league titles.
The Dutchman got to work and quickly rebuilt the team, combining local talents like Pep Guardiola and Guillermo Amor with Spaniards Andoni Zubizarreta and Txiki Begiristain, and international stars like Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, and Hristo Stoichkov.
The new team topped the table in the second week and stayed there all year, finishing ten points ahead of the second-placed team, Atlético de Madrid, and winning the LaLiga 1990/91 title.
The following three seasons were each more exciting than the previous one, winning the title in all of them. Real Madrid led the standings until the last matchday of the 1991/92 and 1992/93 seasons, but surprisingly lost both times against a Tenerife team coached by former Real Madrid striker Jorge Valdano. Cruyff's Barça held on each year to take the lead at the finish line and claim the title.
But perhaps the most spectacular end to a season was the one in 1993/94. RC Deportivo only needed to match Barcelona's result against Sevilla in their home match against Valencia to clinch their first LaLiga title, after leading the table for months. With Barcelona leading 5-2 against Sevilla as the game was coming to an end, Deportivo were still drawing 0-0, until they were awarded a penalty in stoppage time. Depor's usual penalty taker that season, Bebeto, had missed a few before that match and requested to be relieved of that responsibility. With his substitute, Donato, already off the field, the burden fell on center-back Miroslav Djukic... and he missed, giving FC Barcelona a fourth consecutive LaLiga title in the most surprising way imaginable.
In 1992, Cruyff's Barça also earned the nickname "Dream Team" by winning the long-awaited first UEFA Champions League title, with Koeman's famous free-kick goal in extra time that defeated Sampdoria in the final at Wembley and put an end to the bitter memories of their defeat against Steaua Bucharest in Seville six years earlier.
That foursome was the most successful in Barça's history in terms of trophies won, but also the most influential in terms of philosophy and style of play. Cruyff's ideas, influenced by Ajax, were implemented in the Catalan capital, as he taught the team a special style of football, possession-based, and instilled a true winning mentality throughout the club.
After retiring as a coach in 1996, Cruyff stayed close to Camp Nou and often advised the directors and coaches in key decisions. The club's subsequent Champions League-winning coaches, Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, and Luis Enrique, all have a direct and significant connection to the Dutch master. "Cruyff built a cathedral here," Guardiola said. "We just had to maintain it."
The football world mourned on March 24, 2016 when Cruyff passed away at the age of 68 after losing his battle with cancer. Today, his name is still remembered with admiration at FC Barcelona and throughout LaLiga. (D)