Sports Nicknames - El Salvador, Jopie, Nummer 14

Johan Cruyff was a footballer and later in his career a football manager from Netherland, one of the most iconic figures in the sport of all time.



Johan Cruyff played at Ajax and Barcelona during his prime years. He won countless trophies and individual awards, including three Ballon d'Ors in 1971, 1973 and 1974.

Cruyff was a creative playmaker and a team orchestrator. His timing for passes was impeccable and he could play in any position on the pitch. Sometimes he would be the striker, five minutes later a winger and then he would move back to defense and yell out instructions for his teammates. Cruyff would groom younger teammates into specific roles and during games direct everyone on the pitch.

Cruyff earned the nickname "El Salvador", meaning the savior in English, for helping Barcelona come back into the limelight after many years of subpar performances. Because he chose the number 14 for his shirt and not one of the at the time conventional numbers between 1 and 11, he was nicknamed "Nummer 14" in his homeland.

Johan Cruyff debuted for Netherlands in 1968 and led his country to a World Cup final in 1974, a tournament where he received the golden ball.

As a manager, with his innovative playing methods, Johan Cruyff set new standards at Ajax and Barcelona and to this day he is a role model for many top class managers such as Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Michael Arteta and Xavi.


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