Johan Neeskens

Johan Neeskens, born on 15 September 1951 in Heemstede, North Holland, and died on 6 October 2024, was a Dutch footballer and later a manager. Playing as a midfielder, he was a key figure for the Netherlands national team, which reached the finals of the 1974 and 1978 World Cups but lost both times. He is widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders ever. In 2004, FIFA included him among the 125 Greatest Living Footballers, and in 2017, FourFourTwo ranked him 64th on its list of the 100 all-time greatest players.

His childhood was shaped by his parents' divorce, and due to cramped living conditions, he slept in a hallway. A natural athlete, he excelled in gymnastics and baseball, even representing the Netherlands at a youth European Championship in the latter sport.

Neeskens began his club career at Racing Club Heemstede in 1968. Rinus Michels spotted him there and signed him for Ajax in 1970. Initially playing as a right-back, he featured in that role during Ajax’s 1971 European Cup final victory over Panathinaikos. By the 1971–72 season, he had shifted to central midfield, supporting Johan Cruyff.

His tireless running, technical skill, and goal-scoring ability made the transition seamless. Ajax won three consecutive European Cups from 1971 to 1973. In 1974, Neeskens moved to FC Barcelona, reuniting with Cruyff and Michels, where fans nicknamed him Johan Segon (Johan the Second). Although Barcelona’s success was limited—winning only the 1978 Copa del Rey and the 1979 Cup Winners’ Cup—he remained a fan favorite.

In 1979, he joined the New York Cosmos for an annual salary of about 600,000 Dutch guilders (roughly $300,000). After three unexcused absences, manager Hennes Weisweiler suspended him for nine months in late 1980, and the Cosmos released him in October 1984. He then played for FC Groningen in the 1984–85 season, followed by a stint with the South Florida Sun of the United Soccer League, which folded after six games in 1985. On 15 August 1985, he signed with the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He later played for Swiss clubs FC Baar (1988–90) and FC Zug before retiring in 1991.

Internationally, Neeskens earned 49 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 17 goals. He debuted against East Germany in 1970 and was instrumental in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups, playing central midfield. During 1974 World Cup qualification, he scored a hat-trick in a 9–0 win over Norway and neutralized Belgium’s Paul Van Himst, though the de Volkskrant newspaper criticized his 13 fouls in that match as a “disgrace.” At the 1974 finals in West Germany, he scored two penalties against Bulgaria and a goal in a 2–0 defeat of Brazil to send the Netherlands to the final.

In the final itself, he opened the scoring with a penalty after just two minutes. Four years later, despite a rib injury from a loss to Scotland, he played a crucial role as the Netherlands again reached the final, losing 3–1 after extra time to host Argentina (the score was 1–1 at full time). After moving to the Cosmos, his international appearances dwindled. He skipped a key Euro 1980 qualifier against East Germany in November 1979, citing exhaustion.

Following his club suspension, manager Kees Rijvers recalled him in late 1981 for two 1982 World Cup qualifiers. He was cheered in a 3–0 home win over Belgium, but a 2–0 loss away to France in his final match meant the Netherlands missed the tournament.

After retiring as a player in 1991, Neeskens became an assistant coach. Guus Hiddink appointed him as his assistant for the Netherlands in 1995, and they led the team at the 1998 World Cup. He stayed on under successor Frank Rijkaard during Euro 2000. In 2000, he took over as head coach of NEC Nijmegen, guiding them to their first European competition in twenty years in 2003, but was sacked in December 2004 with the club in 14th place.

In December 2005, he again joined Hiddink as an assistant, this time for the Australian national team, working alongside Graham Arnold during the 2006 World Cup campaign. Football Australia wanted him to replace Hiddink, who left for Russia after the tournament. Instead, Neeskens returned to Barcelona in 2006 to replace Henk ten Cate on the technical staff, reuniting with Rijkaard. When Rijkaard was dismissed in May 2008 after a third-place La Liga finish, Neeskens and Eusebio Sacristán left with him.

He followed Rijkaard to Galatasaray as an assistant in 2009, departing in October 2010 when Rijkaard was let go. He later became head coach of the Netherlands B team and Mamelodi Sundowns.