Joe Duggan (Reporter)
JOHAN Cruyff has died of cancer aged 68.
The Dutch legend passed away at home in Barcelona, where he earned godlike status for his spells as a player and manager at the Nou Camp.
Cruyff joined the Catalan giants in 1973 for a world record transfer fee, winning the La Liga title in his first season.
He also captured Catalan hearts when he named his son Jordi after Catalunya’s patron saint, which was forbidden under Franco’s dictatorship.
In 1974, Cruyff won European Footballer of the Year before leading Barcelona to a 1978 Copa Del Rey triumph.
He returned to manage the club in 1988 winning four La Liga titles.
His crowning achievement was victory in the 1992 European Cup Final at Wembley, the first time Barcelona had claimed Europe’s top prize.
Cruyff, a heavy smoker in the past, was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2015.
