Johan Cruyff and his year at Feyenoord
The brilliance of a football player can be measured in a lot of different ways and they can represent a lot of different things. What makes a player great is something different to what makes another one great. It is part of football and, in a way, is part of human nature as well.
However, after coming back to Ajax for a second spell in the early 80s, the Dutch giants decided not to offer him a contract and the Dutchman decided to do the unthinkable: to join eternal rivals Feyenoord.
Context
Cruyff dominated the 70s as one of the best players in the game and his brilliant seasons at Ajax and Barcelona, where he helped both clubs win a lot of trophies, was a huge testament to that. His technique, high football IQ, skill and capacity to move all over the pitch was something revolutionary in the game and he quickly became a key figure in football.However, by the time of the late 70s, Cruyff was no longer the force of nature he once was. Age and injuries had taken a bit of a toll on him and he wasn't at his full best, which led to Barcelona and him going their separate ways in 1978.
Afterwards, the Dutchman played in the United States and had a brief stint with Levante back in Spain, but things were not working out for him during this period. Finally, he returned to Ajax in the summer of 1981 and he enjoyed a bit of success there once again, helping the club win the Eredivisie that season and the following one as well, plus a cup in the latter. It seemed that he was destined to retire at the club he was associated with during his career.
But... things were not going to go in that direction.
Feyenoord and betrayal
It was the summer of 1983 and Cruyff was at the end of his contract. The Ajax board decided against giving a new one due to his age and the fact they thought he couldn't play regularly anymore. Of course, this infuriated the Dutchman and prompted him to keep playing, which resulted in signing for Feyenoord that same season.When it comes to the club itself, Feyenoord were perhaps in need of Cruyff in that point of the story. The club was not performing at all in recent years and clubs such as PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar had been winning the league and challenging in Europe in recent years, not to mention the constant dominance of the Netherlands that Ajax has.
So, in that regard, the possibility of signing Cruyff, even at 36 years of age, was something very appealing for Feyenoord and they went ahead and did it. This would prove to be a very important element for the coming year.
In an Eredivisie season of 34 matches, Johan Cruyff played a grand total of 33 with Feyenoord and contributed with 11 goals, which was a very impressive feat when you consider his age, his recent performances with Ajax (not bad, but not in that level) and the fact that he was at a new club. He seemed like a man that was reborn.
Ironically enough, despite this being season being heralded as a massive success for both Johan and Feyenoord, this was also the year where they were handed one of the worst results in the institution's history: a 8-2 defeat against Ajax. It must have hurt a lot for Cruyff to see himself being defeated by the club he so desperately wanted to get back at, but that was only the beginning.
Feyenoord would actually react positively to this situation and would end up winning the Eredivisie that year, with Cruyff winning the Player of the Year Award. He was also highlighted for helping as a mentor to a promising talent they had in the squad, midfielder Ruud Gullit, who would go on to become one of the best footballers in the 80s.
Conclusion
Even to this very day, if you tell someone that Johan Cruyff played at Feyenoord, you are going to get a lot of different reactions. It is one of those things in football that don't seem possible but actually happened, which cements how crazy the sport can be at times. Some of those pictures of him with a Feyenoord could lead to some people to think that they are edited.Regardless of that, after a couple of years in the wilderness, Cruyff managed to retire in the summer of 1984 in a winning position. He proved to himself and the entire world that he could still perform at a high level and did so by delivering a league and cup double to a club that was in dire need of trophies. And to think that came from a player they probably despised for years!
However, after his retirement, Cruyff would eventually make peace with the people of Ajax and got back to the club as a coach first and later on in a lot of different positions to strengthen the institution. It was a very weird situation when looking in hindsight, but his time at Feyenoord can be seen as more of a fit of rage.
Johan Cruyff's year at Feyenoord is a lot of things, but is also one of the craziest anecdotes in all of football.
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