1. With Rinus Michels, gave the world total football, revolutionizing the game, adopted by clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and national sides Holland, Germany, and Spain.
2. Spearheaded Ajax to the apex of world football winning them three consecutive European titles from 1971 to 1973.
3. Led the Oranje to the 1974 World Cup finals in a masterclass of kinetic football winning the player of the tournament.
4. Coached Barcelona to its first European Cup title in 1992, laying the foundation of world domination through tiki taka aesthetics.
5. The Cruyff turn, an elegant sleight of foot now part of the lexicon of footballing technique to stun opponents.
6. La Masia, the incubator of majestic talents like Leo Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta was Cruyff’s brainchild.
7. Laid the template for the next generation of successful innovators like Pep Guardiola, Frank Rijkaard, and Michel Laudrup.
8. A generation of activist goalkeepers, i.e, the sweeper keeper. Manuel Neuer was channeling Cruyff’s vision in the 2014 World Cup.
9. Chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not join a club associated with fascism. Barcelona was more than a club because they resisted Franco’s totalitarianism.
10. An outspoken activist against anti-football of the type practiced by Jose Mourinho and the militarism of Louis Van Gaal.