Former Netherlands and Ajax legend Johan Neeskens has died at the age of 73. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) confirmed the sad passing on Monday.
“The KNVB was shocked yesterday morning by the news that Johan Neeskens has suddenly passed away at the age of 73,” The Dutch soccer association said. “During the last couple of days, he was in Algeria, working for the KNVB’s World Coaches program, where he became unwell. Unfortunately, medical help could not make a difference for him.”
The former Dutch midfielder was scouted by Dutch soccer pioneer Rinus Michels whilst playing at hometown club Racing Club Heemstede. This earned Neeskens a move to Ajax, where he would thrive in the ‘Total Football’ system that Michels institutionalized.
Neeskens was later managed by Stefan Kovacs, who continued Ajax’s success after Michels left for Barcelona in 1971.
His time at Ajax marked a golden era for the club. They won three consecutive European Cups from 1970 to 1973, along with back-to-back Eredivisie titles and five other trophies.
This success carried over to the Netherlands national team. In 1970, the team had not qualified for a World Cup in 32 years. That changed when Neeskens helped Oranje qualify for the 1974 World Cup, showcasing Total Football on the world stage. Despite not winning the World Cup, the team finished runners-up in 1974 and 1978.
Both the iconic Ajax and Netherlands sides are revered for Johan Cruyff’s excellence. However, Johan Neeskens was the orchestrator behind the Golden Squad. Primarily a box-to-box midfielder, Neeskens is one of the prototypes for a role in soccer that features prominently today to describe tenacious, tireless midfielders.
Both Cruyff and Neeskens eventually followed Michels to Barcelona, where he spent five seasons with the Catalan club. During his time in Spain, Neeskens won the Copa del Rey and European Cup Winners’ Cup alongside his Dutch counterpart.
Neeskens moved to the United States to join New York Cosmos in 1979. He helped the Cosmos to win the North American Soccer League championships in 1980 and 1982. After a brief spell at Groningen, Neeskens returned to the US with South Florida Sun. However, the United Soccer League collapsed just six games into the season as a failed expansion to capitalize on the soccer fever generated by Pele.
In 1985, Neeskens joined the Kansas City Comets, who played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. It was an expansion into a fast-paced version of soccer much different from his professional playing times at Ajax and Barcelona.
Neeskens helped raise the sport’s visibility, paving the way for soccer to survive in the 1980s before the creation of Major League Soccer.
After retiring in 1991, Neeskens coached several teams, most notably as assistant coach for the Netherlands. He worked with Guus Hiddink at the 1998 World Cup and later with Frank Rijkaard. He reunited with Rijkaard at Barcelona, staying until 2008.
Tributes from the soccer world have poured in. Johan Neeskens not only helped shape modern soccer. He left a lasting legacy in Dutch and European football that will exist for generations.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
