Photo: Press Association
Johan Cruyff has passed away today at the age of 68, just five months after he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
“I’ve had to two addictions in my life: smoking and playing football,” he once mused.
“Football has given me everything, whilst smoking almost took it all away”.
Almost no more. Don’t smoke, kids. It’ll kill you, no matter who you are.
We’re struggling to put any cogent words together here. Cruyff was an idol. An icon. Flaxen haired and snake-hipped. Oranje. Slim, lithe. Beautiful. Eternal.
Every facet of modern football owes him a debt of gratitude forever.
This is how we’ll always remember him.