Johan Cruijff's Amsterdam

Around the turn of the century, four billion people knew who he was; thanks to social media, that number has now reached six billion. Because Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Johan Cruyff is considered the most famous Amsterdammer in history. Jaap de Groot was intimately familiar with Number 14, who died in 2016, for almost forty years and regularly visited Cruyff's most cherished places in the capital with him. This resulted in a posthumous interview with Johan Cruyff about his Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM: It's the city where my wife Danny and I were born. So were my three children: Chantal at the Boerhaave Clinic and Susila and Jordi at Prinsengracht Hospital. So, a complete Amsterdam family.
ANCHOR STREET 32: I was born and raised at this address. My parents owned a fruit and vegetable shop here. I'm a mix of my parents, who come from the Jordaan district. I get my quick wit from my father, Manus, and my social side from my mother, Nel. For her, everything revolved around family. I had a wonderful and loving childhood. Betondorp in Amsterdam-Oost truly offered every opportunity a child could wish for. Squares, public gardens, a playground—it was all there.
SOWERS' ROAD 15: I attended the Groen van Prinsterer School. It was a Christian school, even though I wasn't raised religiously, and there were also Catholic and public schools nearby. When I asked why I had to go to the Bible School, my father said, "They tell wonderful stories there. I try to teach you as much as possible, and later you can decide for yourself what to do with it." I was known at school as "the boy with the ball," and I brought it into class with me. What I remember most about my school days is that I never skipped school. Although I wasn't keen on learning, I felt I had to. The Groen van Prinsterer School closed in 2013.
MIDDLE PATH: Just a few hundred meters from our shop was De Meer, Ajax's stadium. The club that played an important role in my father's life. He never missed a match. I still remember the first time I played for Ajax like it was yesterday. I was about five years old. My father asked if I wanted to go along and deliver fruit baskets to club members who were sick or injured. That day, I met Henk Angel, a friend of my father's and a groundsman at the club. He asked me if I wanted to come and help him sometime, and from then on, De Meer was my second home. I was always there. While I may not have inherited my talent from my father, I did inherit his unconditional love for the club.
EASTERN CEMETERY: My father died when he was 45 and I was 12. On the day I received my primary school diploma. During the farewell party, I was told he had died. A heart attack. His cholesterol was too high. His death never left me alone. As I grew older, I increasingly felt that his fate would one day be mine. That's why I wasn't really surprised when I developed heart problems at almost the same age as my father. There was just one major difference: thirty years later, medical science was able to solve the problem. My father, like my mother, is buried in the Oosterbegraafplaats (Eastern Cemetery). Diagonally across from the old Ajax stadium on Middenweg. Every time I pass the cemetery, I still chat with him. With every difficult decision, I ask for his advice. Then I wake up the next morning knowing what to do. Don't ask me how it works, but it's there every time. After my father's death, my mother had to earn some extra money. Ajax then took care of our family, paid her to clean the She took care of the changing rooms and made sure she could work as a maid. That's how I also stayed closely connected to the club, especially when my mother married Uncle Henk Angel, the groundskeeper who truly felt like a second father to me. I tried to earn some extra money as a baker's assistant at the time, delivering cookies and bread to people. I got a rijksdaalder for that."
CALVES STREET: This is where I proposed to Danny in 1968. By luring her into Siebel's jewelry store and buying two wedding rings. It might not have been very romantic, but Danny agreed. We got married in December 1968.
NASSAUKADE: My in-laws lived there. Thanks to Danny's father, Cor Coster, I was able to make a successful career out of it. When he came into my life, no footballer had ever heard of marketing, and dealing with commercial matters was completely new to me. Cor has been incredibly important not only to me, but also to top-level football in the Netherlands as a whole. He even helped establish the VVCS, the footballers' union. My father-in-law helped me financially and raised me. Just how important that was has become clear. Because just when I thought I could do it on my own, things immediately went wrong. That's okay. It's a part of life. Ultimately, what matters is whether you've learned from it.
OLYMPIC STADIUM: Just like De Meer, the Olympic Stadium has been a recurring theme in my life. Like the first time I was sent off during my second international match against Czechoslovakia. I was kicked constantly, but the referee did nothing about it. When he didn't blow his whistle after a terrible kick, even though he was right on top of it, I spoke up and was sent off. It turned into a huge uproar, because never before had a Dutch international been sent off. While I was completely within my rights. Only, in 1966, that didn't exist at all. The referee was in charge, and his authority was unchallenged. A month later, on the same pitch, they won 5-1 against Liverpool in a fog. I'm normally bad at remembering events, but I remember almost everything about that legendary fog match and the second leg at Anfield Road. Especially because those matches confirmed our technical superiority. The English were outplayed purely on technique. I often enjoyed the Olympic Stadium. It's no coincidence that both the Johan Cruyff Foundation and the Johan Cruyff Institute are located there. In a unique sports venue, we're working with people who are less fortunate and the ambitious new generation. Every year, we organize my foundation's Open Day there, and I often visit the Copa Amsterdam youth tournament. I run into one familiar face after another there. Aron Winter, the Witschges, Pietje Keizer, Bennie Muller, Sjaak Swart, Wim Jonk—you name it. I find it wonderful to see how much youth football still resonates with all these enthusiasts. What I especially want to say is that the Olympic Stadium meets a huge need in this way. Let's hope it continues to do so.
DAM: I associate this not only with our freedom, but also with street football. It's where the finals of the Amsterdam School Street Football Tournament were held for years. I regularly went to watch with Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, who was also deeply involved with the Cruyff Foundation. I can't emphasize enough that I learned the most on the streets as a child. Thinking about how a disadvantage can still be an advantage. Realizing that during a game, a curb isn't actually an obstacle, but that you can also use it for a one-two. Thanks in part to the sidewalk, I was able to work on my technique. And I could name countless other examples.
SAND: Although the ArenA wasn't there yet during my active career as a footballer and coach, I still have fond memories of it. In 1997, I was involved in the EURO 6xes, a 6-a-side tournament with Ajax, AC Milan, Glasgow Rangers, and Liverpool. This format later formed the basis for the Cruyff Court. Later, I organized my charity match, "30 Years of Finals with Ajax," and on December 21, 1999, the absolute highlight took place: The Match of the Century, in which the 50 greatest international players of the century were honored one last time. From Dennis Bergkamp to Faas Wilkes and from Jan van Beveren to Edwin van der Sar, everyone was there. With the proceeds, we built the Oranjehorst youth center in the Bijlmer and had the Orange of the Century sculpture garden installed at the KNVB Sports Center in Zeist. An unforgettable moment, when football showed itself at its best.
CONCERT HOUSE: The most beautiful concert hall in the Netherlands. It's also the place where, on June 3, 2003, the first Cruyff Court was donated to Lelystad during the Winter Ball. It was a unique event honoring Aron Winter's retirement, with the first football match played in a theater. Proof that you can kick a ball anywhere. Anyone can do it on the street, but in a theater, only if you're really good. Top players like Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Nicola Berti, Paul Ince, Giuseppe Signori, and Frank Rijkaard demonstrated this that day, accompanied by the singing of the Dutch National Opera. The artificial turf field we used then was turned into the first Cruyff Court. Named after Aron Winter, who grew up in Lelystad. The Winter Ball was seen all over the world, even by CNN. It was another idea born from all sorts of experiences we had gained. What began in 2003 in one of the most beautiful concert halls in the Netherlands has resulted in hundreds of mini-courts. that are spread all over the world. Including in Amsterdam. One that's very special to me is in Betondorp, right where the Onderlangs playground used to be. I spent countless hours there; now it's the place for a new generation of children to play and exercise. The grass fields and squares have increasingly disappeared from the residential areas, but thanks to the construction of a court, you see that football is revitalizing in the neighborhood. That gives me great satisfaction. Also because you see how you can set something really good in motion with such a simple method.
WALDECK PIERMONTSTRAAT: That's where I live when I'm in the Netherlands. I'm just a few steps from Vondelpark, where I can walk and occasionally go roller skating. Around the corner is Ron Blaauw's restaurant, where he stocked up on bottles of Mugo just for me. My favorite wine. A Rioja from Haro, a town between Burgos and Bilbao. I'm a red wine lover. It's part of the deal.
AJAX: “When I lost my father at the age of twelve, my upbringing was shaped by Ajax. First by my second father, later by my coaches Jany van der Veen and Rinus Michels. Thanks to Ajax, I learned not only how to play football better, but also how to behave. My parents, in-laws, wife, children, and grandchildren are very dear to me, but also all those people at Ajax who took me by the hand when I was particularly vulnerable. That's why Ajax is family to me. I still visit De Toekomst about five times a year. Usually to watch a match or catch a training session. Before or afterward, I'll have a chat at the regulars' table in the back of the canteen. We used to talk about going "to the back," when we meant Voorland. That "back" has now moved to De Toekomst, and I have to admit, I don't notice much difference. At the regulars' table, just like back in De Meer, the focus is always on football. Sometimes with heated discussions about how to improve the situation at Ajax. Yet there are people who claim I'm trying to destroy Ajax. They don't get it. It's not about destroying the club, it's about preventing it from being destroyed. Football was absent from every level of the club. We were faced with the awkward situation where the commissioners and board didn't have top-level football backgrounds, yet still had to decide who was suitable to become manager or director. To be clear: I'm not just interested in getting footballers into the club's management, but in changing the dynamics within Ajax. In 1999, Ajax appointed me an honorary member, and then you can choose two things: you can be an honorary member simply by wearing the badge, or you can try to represent a certain value to the club as an honorary member. Only when you notice that others disagree with that value should you eventually act as if you're simply wearing the badge. But that kind of thing slips right past me the moment I walk into the canteen. If I go there, I know in advance that it's going to be a good time. And that still means a lot to me. There will surely come a time when the club realizes it needs to change. If they reach that point, there are plenty of people who will make sure things get done the way the true members and supporters want them. I'm one of them. Because I'll always be there for Ajax. If something needs to be resolved, I'm always willing to step in. But only if everyone supports it. That could be a year from now, ten years from now, who knows? In any case, the moment the right people take charge. People who have the club in their hearts and who know what Ajax stands for.
AMSTERDAM: Despite all those years in Barcelona, ​​I still long for the Netherlands. And especially Amsterdam. My city. Where I was born, where I got married, where my children were born, where I played football, and where my foundation and university are located. I am and will always be proud of my city and my country, with all its pros and cons, but brimming with quality. Even New York used to be called New Amsterdam, before we sold it. We are a unique people, and I will always remind my children and grandchildren of that.