Johan Neeskensformer player of the Dutch national team, has died at the age of 73 “suddenly” according to the Dutch football federation. Neeskens was one of the football icons of the ’70s, playing in the Ajax and FC Barcelonawhere he accompanied his inseparable friend, Johan Cruyff.
The Dutch midfielder is a real legend in the Netherlands. It was forged in Ajax and signed for him FC Barcelona in 1974, being one of the key pieces of the Dutch team that played consecutively in the World Cup finals in Germany 1974 and Argentina 1978, falling in both cases against the host teams.
The footballer He arrived at FC Barcelona in 1974 coming from Ajax, and endorsed by Johan Cruyff, who had landed at the Barça club a season before. He wore the Barça shirt in 183 official matches, scoring a total of 44 goals over five seasons, leaving an everlasting mark for his commitment, physical strength and power, especially in headers and penalty kicks.
Barça icon
Three-time winner of the European Cup with Ajax and twice world runner-up with the NetherlandsAmong other achievements, the former Dutch player won a European Cup Winners’ Cup (1978-1979) and a Copa del Rey (1977-1978) with Barça, to which he returned more than two decades later as assistant coach to his compatriot Frank Rijkaard (2006 -2008).
The acclamation of the Barça fans in the Plaza Sant Jaume stands out, as hero of winning the 1978-79 Cup Winners’ Cup and returned to FC Barcelona as Frank Rijkaard’s second coach at Barça from 2006 to 2008.
“FC Barcelona deeply regrets the death of Johan Neeskens. A Barça legend who will always be in our memory. May he rest in peace,” said the Catalan entity on its official ‘X’ account.
Earliest goal in a World Cup final
Johan Neeskens was born on September 15, 1951 in Heemstede (Netherlands). Although he loved baseball as a young man, he finally opted for the world of soccer. In this way he entered the RCH Heemstede until he signed for Ajax at the age of 19 from Amsterdam, trained by Rinus Michels and where he met another very special Johan: Johan Cruyff.
With the Ajax lived a glorious period as a footballer and won three European Cups in a row, two Leagues, a Dutch Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and a Super Cup. Once all this was achieved with the Amsterdam team, he arrived in Barcelona on June 20, 1974, coinciding, once again, with Johan Cruyff. After five years of working hard in the middle of the Barça field, the 1979 Cup Winners’ Cup final was his last game for Barça.
After his time at Barça, he went to New York Cosmos (1979-1984) to play the 1984/85 season at Groningen and the subsequent season at Forot Lauderdale Sun (1985), and move through several teams – Kansas City Comets (1985-1986), Lowenbrau (1986-1987), Baar (1987-1990) – before his retirement at Zug (1990-1991).
He played 49 games for the Netherlands national team since his debut in 1970 and scored 17 goals over a decade, being one of the figures of the Dutch team that played consecutively in the World Cup finals in Germany 1974 and Argentina 1978, losing in both cases to the host team.
Johan Neeskens is the author of Earliest goal in a World Cup final by converting a penalty two minutes into the final in Munich against Franz Beckenbauer’s Germany, which ended up lifting the title with goals from Paul Breitner (p) and Gerd Müller (2-1).
