A legend in the history of Barça, has died suddenly in Algeria: Johan Neeskens, although upon his arrival he was known as Johan II, as second to Johan Cruyff.
Neeskens died at age 73. He will always be remembered for his success at Ajax, FC Barcelona, Cosmos and the Dutch national team, with which he reached the finals of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups.
It was at the end of the 1974 World Cup that he signed for Barça, a champion Barça team led by Johan Cruyff and the Peruvian Hugo Cholo Sotil.
The Unforgettable Cup Winners' Cup in Basel
But only two foreigners could play, so Sotil was sacrificed and Barça didn't win La Liga again until eleven years later. Neeskens didn't win La Liga, but he did win the Cup and the unforgettable Cup Winners' Cup in Basel in 1979 .
On his return from Basel, it was already known that President Núñez had decided to fire Neeskens. And the celebration in Plaça Sant Jaume became a plebiscite: "Neeskens, yes. Núñez, no!" While the player cried on the balcony of the town hall.
He arrived in Barcelona as a newlywed , but his marriage did not last long . His wife Marian's infidelity with a photographer from Barcelona broke up the union.
Sideburns and Anklets
At the time, rumours circulated that Neeskens was not fit to pass a doping test and Núñez decided to kick him out of Barça.
He played for FC Barcelona from 1974 to 1979. He scored 35 goals in 140 games.
He won the Copa del Rey in 1978 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979. Later, in his role as coach, he was also Rijkaard's assistant at Barça from 2006 to 2008.
Neeskens became popular for his enormous sideburns, as well as the use of white anklets, something that hadn't been seen in any other footballer until then.
And he stood out for his absolute dedication in every game. He would run the 90 minutes and destroy every opponent's play that came before him.
The Camp Nou crowd always showed their affection for him by chanting his name at any of his physical displays: "Neeeeeeeskens, Neeeeeskens!"
Neeskens' Penalties
He was also famous for his peculiar style of executing penalties: a blasting shot down the center.
He was part of the Dutch clan upon his arrival, with Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, although he ended up distancing himself from the other Johan and over the years they barely had any contact. He always lived under Johan I's shadow.
After being sacked by Barça, he went to Cosmos and then had a short stint at Groningen. He returned to the United States to play for Fort Lauderdale and retired playing in Switzerland.
Neeskens fell ill in Algeria, where he was representing his federation at an official event, and died suddenly.
Rest in peace, one of the greatest in the history of FC Barcelona