Barca players honour Cruyff
Barcelona paid tribute to former player and manager Johan Cruyff with a remembrance event held at the Camp Nou on Tuesday.
Cruyff passed away on Thursday at the age of 68 after a long battle with lung cancer.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner, who was manager of the Catalan giants between 1988 and 1996, is widely credited with establishing the ‘tiki-taka’ style of football associated with the club today.
Barcelona’s first-team players and coaches held a minute’s silence before training on Tuesday morning before heading to the Camp Nou to participate in the remembrance event.
Members of Cruyff’s family were present including his son Jordi, who also played for Barcelona during his own career.
“We understood that Johan is not only ours, he belongs to the whole world,” said Jordi Cruyff.
Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique also paid tribute to the former Ajax forward.
“To speak of Cruyff is to speak of football,” Enrique said.
“He made the sport about entertainment and titles. Johan leaves us a fantastic legacy that will continue. We will always remember him.”
More than 50,000 mourners have visited Barcelona’s stadium since Saturday in order to pay their respects to the Dutch football legend.
In 1979, Cruyff persuaded then Barcelona president Josep Nunez to set up La Masia, the club’s now legendary youth academy.
La Masia has since produced some of the most influential players in Barca history, including Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Carlos Puyol and Xavi.
On Tuesday, Spain’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport posthumously awarded Cruyff its Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.
