News about Johan Cruyff

Replacing Jurgen Klopp won't be an easy job, but in Arne Slot, the Reds might find a strong solution to an unenviable task.   The Feyenoord boss has emerged as a strong contender to succeed Klopp at Anfield this summer,  after fan-favourite Xabi Alonso opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for another season, while talk has run cold on the prospects of Ruben Amorim making the switch from Sporting Lisbon. He is a man who Tottenham supporters will be well aware of, as he looked on course to replace Antonio Conte a year ago after his excellent work in Rotterdam. Yet, there was a twist in the tale, as the 45-year-old opted to stay at Feyenoord and sign a new contract.

Former Southampton footballer Matt Le Tissier appeared uncomfortable as he sat alongside a Youtuber spouting a bizarre conspiracy theory involving Princess Diana , JFK and Johan Cruyff. Le Tissier, 55, joined Tom Sidney Bushnell on his live stream and - despite his own quest to 'uncover the truth' in recent years - toward the end of their discussion, he looked taken aback by an extraordinary claim by his host. Bushnell advanced the idea that former US President JFK and his son, Princess Diana and Cruyff - all of whom have been deceased for at least six years - are secretly alive and will resurface in the coming months.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS: Rituals and superstitions are common in professional sports. They may have value, as they have been shown to increase motivation, concentration, and a sense of control. However, there is a chance of becoming dependent on such actions. Johan Cruyff, Holland's top footballer, would strictly adhere to a set of pre-match rituals. These got off with slapping Ajax goalkeeper Gert Bals in the stomach right before kick-off. Cruyff would spit his chewing gum onto the opponents' half of the pitch. In the 1969 European Cup final, he notably forgot his gum. Ajax lost 4-1 to AC Milan, and Cruyff blamed it on the fact that he couldn't finish the ritual.

In the Johan Cruyf ArenA's first game of Euro 2024 against Germany, it would have been the perfect preparation for the opener of Euro 2024 against Germany. If this is the fate that awaits Scotland's can in Munich on June 14, it could be a long day. The Scots were winless in their last six games, the last time they had a streak that began in October 2007 to September 2008.

Ronaldo has selected who he thinks the eight greatest players of all time are. Ronaldo Nazario, 47, had a glittering career from 1993 to 2011, playing for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, while still scoring 62 times in 98 games for Brazil. The former footballer of his generation is one of the most popular footballers of his time, and he has since attempted to play football for Real Valladolid in Spain and his boyhood Brazilian team Cruzeiro.

The Sunderland-born midfielder has broken records in Amsterdam just days after coming from Saudi Arabia's Al-Ettifaq. Since being required to wear the number six shirt after Johan Cruyff's retirement of the number 14 has been criticized, it has been highly coveted since it became the highest-selling shirt for Ajax and costing £85. And it's not the only thing Dutch fans can get their hands on when the club's website showcased a variety of memorabilia adorning Henderson's name. The number six, a £47 Ajax-coloured bedsheets, a £28 towel, £19 pillows, and £12.80 mugs are among the items on sale.

On the one-year anniversary of Pele's death, Brazilians have paid tribute to him. Pele died in December 2022 at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo, age 82, after a lengthy fight with colon cancer. Brazil decided to celebrate Pele's passing one year by presenting a Brazilian shirt on Rio de Janeiro's Christ the redeemer statue.

When eagle-eyed commentators reported that Al-Ettifaq's head coach had inadvertently flip-flopped on one of the most heated debates of our time: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard made headlines this week. "Cristiano Ronaldo, or "the GOAT," as we referred to him,' Gerrard said, perhaps without knowing it, but only to encourage followers of both players to dig into a 2022 interview of Messi, citing him as his favorite player and questioning what might have prompted his change of heart.' Both Messi and Ronaldo have miles of column inches - and Twitter threads devoted to who will make the sport's best ever seen - without having a concrete answer in sight.

To find the only other two European leagues in which a team has won every single game, you must scroll down to San Marino and Gibraltar. No other top-tier teams boast the same excellence. But with a 33-year-old former Newcastle flop leading the line, how on earth have they done this?

BY AADAM PATEL: I'm sure you're sick of hearing about the same tweet, but I'm happy to share it anyway. After the T20 World Cup in Australia was postponed due to the pandemic, the Netherlands bowler was working as an Uber Eats delivery driver in Bristol in November 2020. Van Meekeren wrote: "Should've been playing cricket today." Now I'm offering Uber Eats to get through the winter months. Funny how things change hahaha keep smiling people!' It made me a better person.' I think Uber Eats was really a stepping stone, and I worked part-time for a software company in Chesterfield,' Van Meekeren says.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: One of the pleasures of filling this space can be the people with whom you end up chatting. The opposite is often true, but most weeks it comes from a lovely chap named Terry, who is in his Eighties and a fan of all sports, particularly football. You can see that he is a game historian. Tottenham Hotspur is one of his greatest passions, and it is one of his favourite topics. Arthur Rowe's influence on the game has been particularly obscure, although his name has largely faded from view, according to him. Rowe's passing this weekend is a particularly good time to remember because it is 30 years since a manager who in 1951 handed Tottenham's first top-flight title. Rowe is among the company's few who could say the same at Spurs, but his true mark of distinction comes from those who inspired him, which is a fascinating and stylish line that meanders all the way to Ange Postecoglou.

MATT BARLOW AT THE AMEX STADIUM: Brighton was forced to wait for their first Europa League victory. They lost to Athens, who lost at AEK Athens. They came to a point in Marseille but then victory came against Ajax, the aristocrats of European football, and it was delicious. Not the mighty Ajax of years past, it is not true. They were a pale shadow of those teams that contributed to the success of Total Football, fifty years since Johan Cruyff inspired them to a hat-trick of European Cup victories.

After a bizarre occurrence during national team preparations on Wednesday evening, PSG and France star Kylian Mbappe was left stunned. Mbappe, 24, teamed up with the national team for their latest Euro 2024 qualifier games against Netherlands and Scotland, which they won 2-1 and 4-1 respectively. During the two games, the PSG forward scored three goals, including a superb brace at the Johan Cruijf Arena.

With his second goal in France's 2-1 victory over the Netherlands on Friday evening, Kylian Mbappe stunned the Johan Cruyff arena in his second goal. After playing a quick one-two with Aureli Tchouameni, the PSG forward exploited the space that Netherlands players casually gave him and decided to smash a bouncing attempt toward goal. Mbappe executed his shot perfectly, giving Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen absolutely no chance of getting the ball as he scrambled across his line helplessly.

PETE JENSON: Joao Felix travelled just over 20,000 miles this summer on Atletico Madrid's pre-season tour, but he never kicked a ball. Having gone public about it being his 'dream' to play for Barcelona, he had already burned what remaining bridges he may have seen with the Atletico fans. And yet, he was still in Diego Simeone's squad on the last day of August - the coach who didn't like him and the coach who didn't want him. On the deadline day, he had been planning to move to Barcelona, but in just three weeks since then everything has changed. He told El Mundo Deportivo on Thursday, "I believed and I still believe that this is the right spot for me," he told El Mundo Deportivo, who cannot believe him after his first two games. Barcelona had not won 5-0 in back to back matches since Lionel Messi left, and after beating Betis and Royal Antwerp by a scoreline, there are rumors that the Portuguese will fill the void left by Barcelona's greatest ever player.

KIERAN GILL: When I walk out, my old man is right next to me. He's a tough guy, and he still is today, but he keeps saying to me, 'Keep doing what you're doing, you're going to love this game, and you're going to make it to the top.' Despite this, the guy is a bit of a jerk. "Well done, son, but if you'd made a replacement and stopped this playing-out-from-the-back s***," said the Asian Cup champion, he's gone, he goes.' Isn't a hard guy. Can't please him. That's why I was so disturbed. Tonight, he walks out with me. This was Ange Postecoglou's address to Australia's players ahead of their 2017 Confederations Cup opener with Germany, heartfelt, humble, and amusing. Postecoglou brings thought to these discussions. How he can pull at the heartstrings. What picture he wants in his players' minds. Australia lost 3-2, but this was 'Big Ange' at his best. For his first north London derby, the 58-year-old Australian will be bringing something special. Jim, the only regret, is that his father, Jim, is not here to see if his son does well at the Emirates on Saturday.

Marinho Peres, a former Brazil and Barcelona defender, has died at the age of 76. He captained his country at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, where they were unable to defend their title and finished fourth overall. Johan Cruyff, a Dutch player who played and scored against Brazil in the second group phase, lauded his results.

ROB DRAPER: Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi screamed when his club, AC Milan, signed Carlo Ancelotti in 1987. 'We have a conductor who can't read sheet music,' Arrigo Sacchi told his coach Arrigo Sacchi. Sacchi replied, 'I told him I would teach him to sing in tune.' Ancelotti was a maestro, as it turned out. Similarly, Johan Cruyff had faith in Pep Guardiola even when he was a skinny teenager giving no impression.

The Nou Camp is almost unrecognizable, with extra building work scheduled for the forseeable following the conclusion of the 2023-23 campaign. Barcelona will host their home games at the Olympic Stadium in Spain next year, with the intention of returning to their homeland soon - but not until 2026. Since being built in 1957, the stadium has been almost unchanged, so the work will bring about the most significant improvements to the ground in its history.

One Premier League football star can be seen walking a runway for a Spanish designer in a clip shot in 1993 that has since resurfaced on Instagram account meninblazers. The football legend made a striking figure in a bold pinstripe suit with his dark features, chiseled bone structure, and slim build.

The 2022-23 Premier League season came to an end on Sunday, marking the end of yet another entertaining season. Southampton, Leeds, and Leicester were all relegated, with Everton surviving by the skin of their teeth on the final day. Although Manchester City retained the trophy (again) after dragging behind long-serving leaders and dark horses Arsenal. Newcastle and Manchester United rounded out the top four, with Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa all qualifying for Europe, with Chelsea's disappointing finish below Crystal Palace despite spending more than £600 million. And above, Mail Sport's writers have selected their favorite, sad, and amusing scenes from the huge collection of the best, sad, and amusing events in the English top-flight over the last nine months.

ROB DRAPER FOR THE MAIL On SUNDAY: Football is about men in boots, not men in suits, not men in suits, as a colleague told me last week, quoting a wise sports editor who argued that football is now a phenomenon. The game is about players, not administrators and directors. The glory game, as Danny Blanchflower christened it, is about nights like those at the Etihad, the passion of followers, the sheer majesty of a player like Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland's ecstasy, Bernardo Silva's ferociousness, and Jack Grealish's adoration. We've not seen anything quite like Manchester City's 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid since Barcelona defeated Manchester United at Wembley in 2011. In a Champions League final in 1994, Fabio Capello's Milan defeated Johan Cruyff's Barcelona 4-0, in the game of the decade. This was a similar degree of evisceration, a triumph of Pep Guardiola's footballing vision, and a tactical landmark for the ages.

Pep Guardiola, a baby-faced lad from Stockport, gushed with anticipation on his debut in Manchester City in 2017. 'It's been a long time since I saw something like this,' he said. 'Phil Foden is on a different plane.' It was a man who served in Johan Cruyff's Dream Team and then went on to coach Lionel Messi and a team of superstars in Barcelona. Foden's double-century of City appearances came to mind on Saturday. Foden is 22 years old, and it's easy to forget. His 200th City outing comes at a time when his club career was at a crossroads, with Guardiola of late falling out of favour. Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez's appearances haven't helped.

Manchester United's Europa League match against Barcelona is deserving of a grander stage, according to Erik ten Hag, as both clubs attempt to bring back the glory days. Two of Europe's top names are more used to competing in the Champions League, but a junior team in UEFA's junior competition in Barcelona on Thursday for a spot in the last 16. There is no way around this fixture's history. Xavi, Barca's head coach, was obviously a central figure on the team's victory over United in the Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011. United defeated the Catalans in the semi-finals en route to lifting the European Cup in 2008.