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From the Football word,Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff has died after a long battle with cancer.
Widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in football history, the three-time World Player of the Year passes away at the age of 68.
Family spokeswoman Carole Thate confirmed Cruyff had passed away Thursday.
Joaquin Munoz of the Cruyff Foundation in Barcelona said he died as a result of lung cancer.
At club level, Cruyff started his career at Ajax where he won eight Eredivisie titles, and three European championships.
In 1973, he moved to Barcelona for a then world record transfer fee, winning La Liga in his first season and was named European Footballer of the Year.
He eventually coached the Catalan club to a first European Cup triumph in 1992, as well as winning four successive La Liga titles between 1991 and 1994.
For the national team, he was the lynchpin for Holland as they reached the final of the 1974 World Cup, and he received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.
The Dutch legend helped revolutionize the game with the concept of “Total Football.”
Ajax and Barca are among the clubs that have developed youth academies based on Cruyff's coaching methods.
