Johan Neeskens

Lore & Background

Neeskens was born in Heemstede in North Holland on 15 September 1951. In his childhood, marked by his parents' divorce, he slept in a corridor due to lack of space. He was gifted at sports as a child, including gymnastics and baseball, and represented the Netherlands at a youth European Championship in baseball. He started his club career at Racing Club Heemstede in 1968, before being spotted by Rinus Michels and signed for Ajax in 1970.

He impressed at right-back, playing in that position for Ajax in the 1971 European Cup Final win against Panathinaikos. During the 1971–72 season, Neeskens took up more of a central midfield role, in support of Johan Cruyff. Ajax completed a hat-trick of European Cup wins between 1971 and 1973, and Neeskens moved on to FC Barcelona in 1974 to join Cruyff and Michels. There he was nicknamed Johan Segon (Johan the Second).

While his time at Barcelona was relatively unsuccessful for the club (one cup title in 1978, and the 1979 Cup Winners' Cup), he was hugely popular amongst the fans. In 1979 he accepted an offer from the New York Cosmos, spending five years at the club. He earned the equivalent of 600,000 Dutch guilders (roughly $300,000) per year at the club. Having been absent without reason for the third time, he was given a nine-month suspension by manager Hennes Weisweiler in late 1980.

The Cosmos released him in October 1984. He also played for FC Groningen during the 1984–85 season. In June 1985, he signed with the South Florida Sun of the United Soccer League. The USL collapsed six games into the 1985 season.

On 15 August 1985, he signed with the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Neeskens then played for FC Baar (1988–90) and FC Zug in Switzerland, finally retiring in 1991. He was capped 49 times for the Netherlands national team, scoring 17 goals. He made his debut against East Germany in 1970, and played a crucial role in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, playing in central midfield.

In 1974 World Cup qualification, Neeskens scored a hat-trick in a 9–0 win over Norway. At the tournament in West Germany, he scored two penalties against Bulgaria, and a goal in a 2–0 win over reigning champions Brazil to put the Netherlands into the final. Neeskens scored the opening goal of the 1974 World Cup final against West Germany with a penalty kick after only two minutes of play.

Reader's Guide

Neeskens was a box-to-box midfielder with incredible stamina, great mentality, and a powerful shot. He excelled at pressuring opponents to regain possession. He began his career as a right-back but was moved into midfield by Ajax manager Ștefan Kovács. He played in the Total Football team designed by Rinus Michels, in which players were expected to change position fluidly.