I hadn't heard until seeing this thread. Way too young. That turn.......I remember seeing that live. Wow! It won't seem like that great a deal today because everyone does it but back then it was massive. I always wondered whether it was something he'd been practicing or whether he just did it instinctively (neither would surprise me).
So glad someone started a thread for this, rather than passing news in Koeman's. Legend. One of the real pioneering footballers, coaches, managers and tacticians. An incredible footballer. I was too young to remember the 74 World Cup really and I can't remember why he didn't go to Argentina in 78.... anyone know (he probably fell out with Dutch coach or FA). The Cruyff turn That penalty I've seen and read a lot about him. Incredible. So gifted. Such an amazing footballing brain on and off the pitch. For me he sits in the all time top 5 players ever. Just don't ask me to put a position to that though.
@RonaldKoeman: Deeply saddened at the death of my best coach and good friend. Thank you for everything. Forever in our hearts.
The turn against Sweden in blue (I think?) is one of the great moments. The defender looks down as if to say "where the f has the ball gone?"
Sky Sports News saying they'll have the thoughts of Ronald Koeman up next after the break... ...and it was just reading out his tweet, which we've already seen. Never mind.
Very sad about this news, I can remember Germany '74 vividly, when he was the player of the tournament by a country mile when he single-handedly took football into a new age with his innovative skills. Indeed Adam Lallana might not have had a career without him. he had the right initials, JC, because he could perform miracles on a football field. RIP Johan...
Ipswich fan in peace. A true master with a football and a real Amsterdam lad. Always well spoken, he had a typical dutch outlook on how football should be played. He certainly embarrassed his fair share of players during his playing days. Rust in vrede (rip) Johan.
Played on bad pitches with a relatively heavy football and made great defenders look silly, in an era when defenders could absolutely shut out an attack and not give them a sniff. When he performed his Cruyff turn he actually beat players with it, because he did it with pace and at the right time. Nowadays players perform the Cruyff turn, but they don't actually perform it to beat players, but rather just to put the ball on the other foot. One little story I know of about Cruyff and Koeman together is when Johan was manager of Barcelona and Ronald was his CB. There was an occasion where he dropped Ronald for a match. Now I'm not 100% of the actual words, but Koeman went to Cruyff and asked why he was dropped. Cruyff answered that he was changing the team round. Koeman answered, Boss, you'll drop me once and once only. Cruyff never dropped Koeman again, such was his respect for his main man.
JC was a wonderful, sublime player playing in a team (Ajax) that was light years ahead of the rest in thought and deed!! I remember his turn in the European Cup Final against Inter Milan where he completely turned the defender inside out!
Fabulous responses. I was a bit worried that someone would question why a player who didn't play for any Premier League club deserved his own thread. Once again Saints fans show their football credentials. I am very lucky to be able to say I met him once in Amsterdam airport. All flights were delayed and I saw him getting a coffee. No "excuse me do you know who I am" but just joining the other punters. France had just won the World Cup and we discussed Zidane. I offered that he was brilliant, but wondered if he was as great as the great Dutchman himself. "Ah. He won the World Cup" was his response. Lovely man. One of the truly greats.
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I was 13 in 1974. After that World Cup he was the guy we all wanted to be. Of course it helped that England hadn't qualified. Anyway, he made being Dutch almost as cool as being Brazilean. Cruyff Pele Maradonna My all time top 3.
