Johan Neeskens, legendary former FC Barcelona and Ajax player, dies
White ankle bracelets, flowing hair, and a cannon in his boots. The powerful silhouette of Johan Neeskens will always remain in the memory of all fans. A wonderful representative of Total Soccer from the Netherlands in the 70s, led by Johan Cruyff, Neeskens was a midfielder with great stamina, physically robust, mobile, and a penalty taker like few others. The world mourns his death. He passed away yesterday at the age of 73 in Algeria, where he had gone for an event as a representative of the Dutch federation. A former player for Ajax and Barça, he became an idol for both teams and only missed out on winning a World Cup, a tournament in which he played two finals.
There are images that will always accompany Neeskens. One of them took place in the Olympic Stadium in Munich. The 1974 World Cup Final. The Netherlands’ Total Soccer had mesmerized fans as they moved like a steamroller. Shortly after the start of the match, there was a monumental round of play by the Dutch team and a penalty on Johan Cruyff. Neeskens takes the ball and shoots fiercely at Sepp Maier. Later, Germany would come back to win. Four years later, at the Monumental Stadium in River Plate, in the final of ’76 and under the dictatorship of General Videla, Neeskens would once again miss out on the title, which was snatched away by the Argentines Kempes, Passarella, and company, under the guidance of Menotti.
By then, Neeskens’ career was already stellar. With Ajax, alongside Cruyff, he had won three consecutive European Cups. In the summer of 1974, a year after Barcelona signed his compatriot, they also acquired Neeskens, quickly baptized at Camp Nou as Johan II. He arrived at a Barça that had ended a fourteen-year drought without winning the League title. Despite his arrival leading to the relegation of Cholo Sotil, who had been crucial the previous season, the Barcelona fans welcomed him with open arms. Neeskens stayed at Barça until 1979 and won the 1978 Copa del Rey against Las Palmas and the iconic Recopa final in Basel against Fortuna Dusseldorf. That title marked the end of his time at Barcelona. He wanted to stay, and the fans clamored for his continuity, but President Josep Lluís Núñez’s board had other plans. The images of Neeskens in Sant Jaume square during the celebration, with tears in his eyes, are famous. Meanwhile, the supporters chanted, “Neeskens, yes, Núñez, no.”
With Ajax, he won three European Cups and with the Netherlands, he reached two World Cup finals
That episode led the Blaugrana president to threaten resignation, amid a climate of great tension. The midfielder had no choice but to pack his bags and head to the Americas, landing at the New York Cosmos, where he crossed paths with Franz Beckenbauer.
And to think that everything could have been different if Neeskens had opted for his other great passion, baseball. In fact, the Chicago Cubs even considered offering him the opportunity to do a stage with them. However, he ultimately chose soccer. Born in Heemstede, a town located halfway between Amsterdam and the sea, he scored his first goals for his hometown team before joining Ajax in 1970 under the guidance of the coach who shaped his career, the unforgettable Rinus Michels. Michels coached him at Ajax, in the national team, and at Barcelona.
Very beloved at the Camp Nou, as a Barcelona supporter he won a Cup and the Recopa in Basilea
His professional career extended until the age of 40, retiring in 1991 at Swiss club FC Zug, where he began his journey as a coach. As a coach, he did not achieve the same level of success but did work as an assistant coach for the Dutch national team in the 1998 World Cup and with Australia in the 2006 World Cup, serving as an assistant to Guus Hiddink. That summer, he spoke to La Vanguardia in Munich, as he had just signed as the assistant coach of Barcelona, replacing Henk ten Cate. He appeared affable and relaxed in close quarters, always attentive and elegant. However, he did not have much luck during the two seasons he worked on Frank Rijkaard’s staff. That Barcelona team, with Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and Deco, unraveled due to self-indulgence. Rijkaard’s dismissal also led to Neeskens’ departure. Nevertheless, he was always an idol at Camp Nou. The unforgettable Johan II.