The world of football says goodbye to Johan Neeskens, one of the symbols of Dutch "total football" and a faithful companion of Johan Cruijff. After the passing of the "Prophet of Goals," the other Johan, so beloved by football fans of the 70s, has now also left an irreplaceable void. Those who lived through the golden age of the Orange feel a little more alone today, as time continues to inexorably take its legends.
The Dutch Football Association immediately expressed their condolences, calling Neeskens “a legend”, acknowledging the fundamental role he played alongside Cruijff. Together, these two champions wrote unforgettable pages in the history of football, first at Ajax, then at Barcelona and finally with the orange jersey of the Dutch national team. Cruijff, with his talent and his revolutionary vision of the game, was the “Golden Duck”, the artist on the pitch. Neeskens, on the other hand, perfectly interpreted the concept of versatility, following the principles of “total football” taught by legendary coaches Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs.
Their football was a mix of spectacle and victories, played with intensity, even without the imposition of retirements, which the Dutch players considered superfluous. When the two met again at Barcelona, Neeskens became known to all as “Johan Segundo”, Cruijff’s right-hand man, winning a Copa del Rey and a Cup Winners’ Cup with the Blaugrana. In the national team, however, he was the designated penalty taker, remembered for being the first player to score a penalty in a World Cup final, in 1974, against West Germany. That defeat still burns in the hearts of the Dutch, but in the collective memory remains the indelible memory of the “Orange”, protagonists of a revolutionary football.
Cruijff and Neeskens were often compared to the Beatles Lennon and McCartney for their impact on football, while Beckenbauer and Müller were the German equivalent. But it was the Dutch duo that changed the face of modern football. Neeskens was a complete player: lungs of iron, a master of the tackle, gifted with superb technique and a great personality. A silent leader, capable of playing in multiple roles and adapting to the needs of the team, as he demonstrated by reinventing himself as an attacking midfielder at Ajax after Cruijff's departure, before rejoining him at Barcelona, becoming an idol at Camp Nou.
His versatility also led him to play as a defender, replacing Barry Hulshoff, another great Dutch champion who died prematurely. For many, Neeskens embodied the strength and tenacity of players like Alessandro Del Piero and Giorgio Chiellini, capable of combining fighting spirit and technical ability, but he preferred to define himself as "a defensive midfielder capable of scoring goals". He never gave up and always tried to express himself with elegance on the pitch.
Among those who remember him fondly is the current coach of the Dutch national team, Ronald Koeman, known as “Rambo”, who told a childhood anecdote: “When we were kids playing in the street, everyone wanted to be Cruijff or Van Hanegem. I wanted to be Neeskens. He was my idol, I admired his way of playing and especially his determination. He was my role model”.
Like many great champions of the era, Neeskens also ended his career with the New York Cosmos, in what was a sort of final catwalk for the stars of world football. Curiously, however, Cruijff was absent from that adventure , having chosen other paths, playing for the Los Angeles Aztecs and the Washington Diplomats, avoiding the glamour of the Big Apple.
Johan Neeskens leaves behind a legacy of indelible memories and an example of dedication and sacrifice, both as a footballer and as a coach, in Australia, Turkey and South Africa. For all, he will remain the footballer with the long hair who never stopped running, who won every tackle and who never missed from the penalty spot. An icon of world football who, like his companion in battle, will continue to live in the memory of fans around the world.
