Johan Cruyff died past week at the age of 68, he was one of football's greatest and most significant figures. The proof lies in two phrases with which he will always be synonymous.

One is "Total Football" - the style epitomized by the Netherlands team, with Cruyff as the centerpiece, who reached the 1974 World Cup final under RinusMichels before losing to West Germany.

It was a philosophy based on the theory that any outfield player could play in any other position on the pitch with comfort. Under his mentor Michels, Cruyff was the embodiment of the supremely skilled, multi-purpose footballer.
At that same World Cup, he invented a piece of skill that will be his calling card forever.

"The Cruyff turn", when he bamboozled Sweden defender Jan Olsson with a touch of football ballet, allowed him to drag the ball behind his standing leg with the inside of his foot. It combined instinct, quick thinking, athleticism and natural ability. In other words, it was Johan Cruyff.

Cruyff was not simply the talisman for that Dutch team, he was the idol of Amsterdam as the inspiration behind three successive European Cup wins in 1971, 1972 and 1973 - before putting his playing brilliance into practice as a coach to lead Barcelona to their first European Cup in 1992 after winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.The adage that great players do not necessarily make great coaches did not apply to Cruyff.

He has left an indelible mark on the game that will live on in the stylistic approach he brought to Barcelona and is maintained to this way.