Johan Cruyff, inventor of the Cruyff Turn, dies at 68.
March 24, 2016 6:02 AM   Subscribe

One of the only football (soccer) players to have invented a move that is known by his name: The stunning Cruyff Turn. "The move became instantly world famous, seared indelibly on the brain, stored forever and available for replay on your mind’s eye-player." In slow motion.
posted by colie (42 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
Not just the inventor of the Cruyff turn, but one of the inventors of total football, and arguably the greatest footballer of his generation.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:09 AM on March 24, 2016 [7 favorites]


I'm currently in London, and this was one of the lead stories on BBC News.

Just out of curiosity, can anybody back in the states let me know if it makes the media at all over there?
posted by eriko at 6:10 AM on March 24, 2016


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posted by Pendragon at 6:18 AM on March 24, 2016


Unbelievable talent, and maybe the third-best player of all time? Best one Europe ever produced, at least.

Never really got to see him play, but his stature of his figure over football loomed very, very large ever after his playing days.

Godspeed, sir.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:20 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Aw, man. Based on the statement he'd released recently it sounded like he was doing okay.

It's on the front page (in small type, but still) of ESPN's website, eriko.
posted by asterix at 6:22 AM on March 24, 2016


Yep "inventor of the Cruyff Turn" is massively underselling him. This piece has more background about how his approach continues through his spiritual descendents, at the best football clubs in the world, today:

How Johan Cruyff reinvented modern football at Barcelona
posted by kersplunk at 6:29 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


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If you'd like to understand Cruyff's importance to the development of the sport, in context, I strongly recommend Jonathan Wilson's book Inverting the Pyramid.
posted by putzface_dickman at 6:30 AM on March 24, 2016


Based on the statement he'd released recently it sounded like he was doing okay.

His FB feed had no hint of this. He said that he had cancer, but by the way he was talking about it, it was no big deal. There were way more postings about current games, and the usual motivational stuff. This came as a total surprise.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:33 AM on March 24, 2016


Yep "inventor of the Cruyff Turn" is massively underselling him.

Absolutely I wish I had worded the post much better in regards to his many achievements; I think my inner seven year-old boy just took over and took me back to the first time I saw that turn.

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posted by colie at 6:38 AM on March 24, 2016


25 Johan Cruyff Quotes That Will Change the Way You Think about Football

"If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better."
posted by asterix at 6:39 AM on March 24, 2016 [9 favorites]


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posted by Webbster at 6:44 AM on March 24, 2016


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posted by mumimor at 6:47 AM on March 24, 2016


To give some idea about his importance for Dutch culture, the website of De Telegraaf, Holland's highest circulation and most important daily newspaper, is pretty much all about Cruyff's death.

If you want to get a small sense of just how revolutionary Total Football was, you could do worse on your lunchbreak than watching this ten minute extract from the 1974 World Cup game between Holland and Brazil, then reigning world champions. Brazil end up looking like a rugby-tackling pub team. Cruyff is number 14.

I'll also happily recommend David Winner's Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football. It's a wonderful book about football and Dutch society.
posted by Kattullus at 6:47 AM on March 24, 2016 [5 favorites]


I’m ex-player, ex-technical director, ex-coach, ex-manager, ex-honorary president. A nice list that once again shows that everything comes to an end.
posted by Pendragon at 6:49 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Just out of curiosity, can anybody back in the states let me know if it makes the media at all over there?

It's a below-the-fold item on ESPN.com. I doubt it makes the SportsCenter broadcast. Shame.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:54 AM on March 24, 2016


The quote that asterix posted is probably my favorite quote about anything, not just soccer.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:06 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


It's a below-the-fold item on ESPN.com.

Front and center on espnfc.com, though. Same situation on Foxsports.com - below the fold on the main site, lead story on their soccer page.
posted by zakur at 7:08 AM on March 24, 2016


Just out of curiosity, can anybody back in the states let me know if it makes the media at all over there?

On both Yahoo's and Google's world news sections, the Adam Johnson story is there but not this one.




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posted by Huck500 at 7:12 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Oh man. Respect.

I don't know if it's exactly true, but I've gathered that Messi and Suarez scored a penalty by assist in homage to him when he was taken to the hospital. Here's Cruyff's spot kick. Even if it's not, I'd like to believe it is true.

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posted by sapagan at 7:13 AM on March 24, 2016 [4 favorites]


Sky Sports docu (2015)... Football's Greatest -- Johan Cruyff (25 mins, YT)

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posted by Mister Bijou at 7:25 AM on March 24, 2016


Sad news.

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(I don't want to seem churlish, but shouldn't an obit post link to an actual obit?)
posted by languagehat at 8:03 AM on March 24, 2016


Great article about the Cruyff Turn and the 1974 World Cup by the wonderful Scott Murray.
posted by Kattullus at 8:05 AM on March 24, 2016


Hah! Somehow I managed to overlook the fact that this was the article linked in the original post (I just assumed it went to an obit).
posted by Kattullus at 8:06 AM on March 24, 2016


Holland - Germany, 1974 World Cup Final. Cruyff is Number 14; why yes, he does drop into the right-back position, and then... (Game starts about 12 minutes in)

Truly we have lost a legend today. A dot just doesn't seem right, maybe a ball would be better.

o
posted by marienbad at 8:17 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Also, via BBC: Dumbarton's failed bid to sign Johan Cruyff.
posted by marienbad at 8:20 AM on March 24, 2016


Here's the 2004 documentary Johan Cruijff — En Un Momento Dado in full. (The title is explained in this given moment, as it were.)

Seeing how he considered himself "in a way, probably immortal" I'm almost tempted to hold out 'til Sunday and see if JC doesn't rise again.

But alas. How quickly glory passes.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:26 AM on March 24, 2016


Hup . hup
posted by humboldt32 at 8:51 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Obit in The New York Times: Johan Cruyff, the High Priest of Dutch Soccer, Dies at 68
posted by monospace at 9:09 AM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


One of the only football (soccer) players to have invented a move that is known by his name...

It's shameful how thoroughly we've forgotten the contribution of James "Jimmy" Header.
posted by The Tensor at 9:19 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


I was glad I got to see him play later in his career when he played in NASL. He played for my home town Washington Diplomats, and I recall seeing him hit a goal from midfield when the keeper was caught well off his line. My condolences to his family and friends.


posted by terrapin at 9:22 AM on March 24, 2016


He wasn't just one of the best players ever, as a manager and guide he also set in motion the resurgence of Barcelona since the 90s. Few are as important as him.
posted by lmfsilva at 9:34 AM on March 24, 2016


In the US in the 90's through early 2000's, we were taught this move as a matter of competent ball handling, and I don't remember ever hearing this guy's name.
posted by cmoj at 9:50 AM on March 24, 2016


Here is the full match for Holland v. Brasil in 1974 and Holland v. Sweden with the Cruyff turn.

Here's a legendary El Classico between Madrid and Barcelona from 1973. Cruyff was a monster.

We also can't overlook his single, which is much better than anything Beckenbauer ever released. "Oei oei oei" is delightful yet date.
posted by kendrak at 9:54 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oddly, my recollection of the Cruyff turn is quite different. I remember him dummying a cross into the box, and then turning towards the touch line.
posted by Major Tom at 10:08 AM on March 24, 2016


we were taught this move as a matter of competent ball handling, and I don't remember ever hearing this guy's name.

Wikipedia has the Cruyff Turn on the list of Dutch Inventions, along with the CD, the artificial kidney, and gin.
posted by colie at 10:22 AM on March 24, 2016


In the US in the 90's through early 2000's, we were taught this move as a matter of competent ball handling, and I don't remember ever hearing this guy's name.

What did your coaches call it?
posted by zakur at 11:33 AM on March 24, 2016


sapagon - either way, Cruyff saw it, and was delighted by it. I find it pretty unlikely that they co-incidentally replicated his play when the news about his latest treatments had come out.
posted by Kreiger at 12:23 PM on March 24, 2016


Such a loss. I had been planning to do a post based on this article about his influence on tactics.
posted by qldaddy at 5:10 PM on March 24, 2016


Cruyff was responsible for Barcelona playing the best soccer ever played c. 2010. That was down to Cruyff's influence.
posted by persona au gratin at 5:12 PM on March 24, 2016


Barcelona were transformed by Johan Cruyff not once but twice, and forever

Cruyff gave Barcelona a new identity and a new, sporting discourse that complemented and deepened the socio-political situation he came to understand and embrace so well; came to embody, in fact.

There is a Before Cruyff and an After Cruyff. As a player he led them to their first league title in 14 years; as a manager he led them to their first European Cup. The legacy is clear, profound and present. Before 1990 Barcelona had won 10 league titles in their entire history and no European Cups; since then they have won 13 leagues and five European Cups. But it is not about the trophies, or not only; it goes beyond that, to philosophy and identity. Winning, sure; a way of winning too.

posted by dng at 5:21 PM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


What did your coaches call it?

If we called it anything, it would have been something like, "inside turn." I'm trying to remember any kind of actual moniker we used for anything, and I can't.

But reading that list of quotes by him, all I have to do is imagine it said in a Nigerian accent and it could just as well have been my most important coach, who I'm certain knew who he was. His philosophy had clearly trickled down into Texas one way or another.
posted by cmoj at 9:10 PM on March 24, 2016


It's a below-the-fold item on ESPN.com. I doubt it makes the SportsCenter broadcast. Shame.

I didn't see SportsCenter yesterday but news of his death, highlights of his career and reactions from current players were on the ESPN TV crawl. He was also talked about in Pardon the Interruption's "Melancholy Happy Trails" segment. It probably doesn't hurt that the PTI hosts are relatively old Washington DC basedsports journalists who remember and reported on Johan's time with the Washington Diplomats.
posted by mmascolino at 6:47 AM on March 25, 2016


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