Death of footballer Johan Neeskens, the other orange prince of the industry – Libération

Alongside Johan Cruyff, he was a pillar of the mechanical Oranje who lit up the football fields of their class for a decade. Johan Neeskens, one of the architects of “total football” and pillar of the great Dutch team of the 1970s, has died at the age of 73, the Dutch football federation (KNVB) said on Monday, October 7.

“With Johan Neeskens, the world of Dutch and international football loses a legend”declared the KNVB in a press release, adding that the midfielder, Johan Cruyff’s most loyal lieutenant in the selection, at Ajax and Barcelona, ​​died on Sunday of an unspecified cause. “With his signature tackles, his sublime vision of the game and his iconic penalties, he will forever remain one of the best players Dutch football has ever produced,” still praises the KNVB.

Johan Neeskens was part of the Ajax team that won three consecutive European Cups in the early 1970s and was also a member of the Dutch team that reached the World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978. He had 49 caps in the orange jersey.

After Ajax, Neeskens had the heyday of FC Barcelona at the end of the 70s, always alongside Cruyff, before signing for New York Cosmos in 1979, where he found Franz Beckenbauer, emblematic opponent in the final of the 1974 World Cup. His various teams pay tribute to him today. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Johan Neeskens. Our thoughts are with his family.” said Ajax on X. “A Blaugrana legend who will remain forever in our memory”wrote on X FC Barcelona, ​​where he was nicknamed “Johan the Second” (after Cruyff).

After his playing career, Neeskens turned to coaching at various clubs, notably assisting Frank Rijkaard on the bench of Barcelona and then Galatasaray at the end of the 2000s. The KNVB announced that it would observe a minute of silence in his tribute during the next two international matches against Hungary and Germany.