The “Cruyff Turn” was, and still is, considered nothing short of wizardry, especially when we witness it in real time and understand the pressure Cruyff was normally under when he produced it. By flicking the ball behind him and off to the right or left, often at full pace and in the middle of a penalty box gridlock, Cruyff was able to instantaneously make space, change the direction of play and lose a close marker. Not just anyone could perform the Turn, even if they mastered its choreography. Cruyff’s acceleration and speed enabled him to pull it off. The burst away after the ball was crucial to its execution.

The Turn – unveiled in one astounding moment in the 1974 World Cup against Sweden, when Cruyff had defender Gunnar Olsson taking off in the wrong direction and proceeding five metres before realising Cruyff wasn’t there – was a moment of revelation that was disorienting even for viewers, as though time had suddenly stalled.

Soon every player in the world was trying to emulate it, but Cruyff owned the move, much as Pele owned his “runaround”, or Ronaldo his “stepover”.

That World Cup should’ve been to Cruyff what 1986 was to Maradona, or 1970 to Pele. He was easily player of the tournament. The Netherlands breezed through the world’s most formidable teams thanks to their total football approach and Cruyff’s implementation of it. Argentina went down 4-0 (Cruyff scored two), East Germany 2-0 and Brazil 2-0 (Cruyff netted the second). Despite their obvious superiority over the host team West Germany in the final, the Dutch stumbled, squandering an early 1-0 lead, and a frustrated Cruyff received a yellow card for referee abuse. The Netherlands scored 15 goals in that World Cup, and every one of them began or ended with Cruyff.

Though he won three European Player of the Year awards, three European Cups with Ajax, and that FIFA Golden Ball, Cruyff only ever played one World Cup. In 48 games for Holland he scored a record 33 goals.

As a coach and manager, Cruyff has been every bit as controversial, visionary and enigmatic as most expected him to be. Like all great thinkers, he sees simplicity in complexity, and has been so far ahead of his time that many of his successful methods are still untried. All aspects of his career considered, he’s the most accomplished soccer figure of all time.

Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century and rated second behind Pele in a poll to determine World Player of the Century. But, again, such comparisons are odious. Like few before or since, in soccer’s pantheon, Cruyff, the brilliant stylist, the consummate team tactician, the philosopher, deserves nothing less than five-star treatment.

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