On Monday, the sad news of Johan Neeskens’ passing was confirmed by the Dutch Football Federation. The former Barcelona and Ajax midfielder died suddenly at the age of 73, after falling ill at an event over the weekend.
Neeskens was one of Barcelona’s most beloved players during the 1970s. He was at the club between 1974 and 1979, with four of those seasons (from 1974-1978) played alongside the iconic Johan Cruyff.
Across his five-year spell in Catalonia, Neeskens made 233 appearances in a Blaugrana jersey, scoring 54 goals. He also returned to the club in 2006, where he acted as assistant manager to Frank Rijkaard for two years. Upon confirming of his passing, Barcelona paid tribute to him on social media.
The death of Neeskens has been felt all across the footballing world. He was a beloved figure, and this was especially the case at Ajax and Barcelona – it’s likely that the Catalans will pay tribute to him before their next match, which is against Sevilla after the international break.