The football world mourns Johan Neeskens. As the Dutch association KNVB announced, the former national player died at the age of 73 during his stay in Algeria for a coaching project. “International football is losing a legend. We have no words for this enormous, sudden loss. The world is not only saying goodbye to a gifted athlete, but above all to a committed, passionate and wonderful person,” the KNVB said in a statement.
The former midfielder, who was born in Heemstede in North Holland, played for Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona, among others. He played a total of 49 international matches between 1970 and 1981 and scored 17 goals. With Ajax Amsterdam he won the European Cup three times (1971, 1972, 1973). One of the highlights of his active professional career was the 1974 World Cup final in Munich against Germany. In the 2-1 defeat, he converted a penalty kick to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Four years later, Neeskens became runner-up again after losing 3-1 in the final against hosts Argentina. After his professional career, Neeskens worked as a coach for various clubs and association teams. FC Barcelona wrote that the legend Neeskens will “always be remembered”.