Barcelona and Dutch legend Johan Cruyff dies at 68 after battling cancer

Barcelona and Dutch legend Johan Cruyff has passed away. He died this afternoon March 24th after battling cancer for years. The late Johan Cruyff was voted world player of the year three times, and guided Holland to the World Cup final in 1974.

As a manager he spent eight years in charge of Barcelona. He is responsible for initiating the possession based 'tiki taka' football and 'total football' currently played by Barcelona and a lot of top football clubs today. He also played for Barcelona and Ajax during his career.

He also has popular coaches Jose Mourinho, Louis Van Gaal and Pep Guardiola as his proteges.

 “On March 24 2016 Johan Cruyff (68) died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family after a hard fought battle with cancer. It’s with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief,” read a statement on Johan Cruyff's website.

He coached Barcelona to a first European Cup triumph in 1992 as well as winning four successive La Liga titles between 1991 and 1994, having managed Ajax from 1985 to 1988.

Barcelona tweeted: “We will always love you, Johan. Rest in peace.”

“With great sadness we have learned of the death of Johan Cruyff. Words are not enough,” wrote the Dutch football federation on Twitter. Ajax issued a short statement that read:

Cruyff was a heavy smoker until undergoing heart surgery in 1991, and publicly revealed his cancer problems in October last year.

 As a player Cruyff scored 392 times in 520 games . As a coach he had 242 victories in 387 matches, with 75 draws and 70 losses.

Lionel Messi, was among the first to pay tribute to Cruyff, writing on his Twitter account: “RIP Johan Cruyff. Your legacy will live on forever.”

May his soul Rest In Peace. Amen!