Ajax and Barcelona legend, Johan Cruyff, passed away four years ago today and the entire footballing community have paid their tributes to the great man. Cruyff is the single most influential figure in modern football as the Dutchman revolutionized the way people see and play football. The footballer turned manager is arguably the most important person in Barcelona history as he transformed the club not once but twice, first as a player and then as a manager. During his footballing days, the former Netherland international played most notably for Ajax and Barcelona. Barcelona Players Accept Wage Cut As Club's Revenue Takes a Hit Amid Coronavirus Crisis.

Johan Cruyff is considered by many to be one of the best players ever to play the game and has won the Ballon d’Or three times in 1971, 1973 and 1974. The Dutchman joined Barcelona 1973 and led them to their first league title in 14 years and then as a manager, he took them to European Glory as the Catalan club won their first European Cup. But Cruyff’s legacy in football is much more than just trophies, it's his way of playing the game and his philosophy that has been adopted by several managers over the years. La Liga Suspended Indefinitely Until Further Notice from Spain Government Amid Coronavirus Crisis.

FC Barcelona

Ajax

The Great One

A Genius

Influential

Jordi Cruyff

Never Forgotten

Such was the Johan Cruyff’s impact of the footballing world that everyone who follows his philosophy is known as a Cruyffista. After the Dutchman passed away in 2016, Ajax renamed their home stadium formerly known as Amsterdam Arena to Johan Cruyff Arena, while Barcelona constructed a stadium for La Masia team’s known as Estadi Johan Cruyff.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 24, 2020 07:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).