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Ajax Fans Raise €75,000 In Three Months For Johan Cruyff Statue

Ajax Fans Raise €75,000 In Three Months For Johan Cruyff Statue

Ajax fans have successfully raised €75,000 for a statue of club icon Johan Cruyff outside of the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Ajax fans have banded together for an incredible cause after raising the funds to build a statue of club legend Johan Cruyff.

The campaign for building the monument began in August, with fans receiving donations online and at the club's matches.

Supporters raised €75,000 over the course of three months and the statue of the Dutch icon will be built outside of the Johan Cruyff Arena.

"We are proud that so many supporters have donated for the statue of Cruyff, the greatest footballer that Ajax and the Netherlands have ever produced," a spokesperson for the campaign, Herjan Pullen, told Deze Man Verdient Een Standbeeld (via Who Ate all the Pies).

"We are also impressed by the fact that the money was collected so quickly.

"Our objective to reveal the statue in less than two seasons will now certainly succeed."



Ajax rebranded the Amsterdam Arena to the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2017 to commemorate the three-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Regarded by some as one of the best footballers of all time, Cruyff had a fruitful career on the pitch with the national team and also at club level. After he hung up his boots, he went on to manage clubs that included Ajax and Barcelona.

In 2016, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola showered praise on his former coach, mentor and spiritual footballing father.

"He was unique, totally unique," he told the Guardian.

PA

"Without him, I wouldn't be here. I know for sure this is why I am, right now, the manager of Manchester City and before that Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

"I would not be able to do what he did. You hear all these people saying: 'Oh Pep, what a good manager he is.' Forget about it. Cruyff was the best, by far. Creating something new is the difficult part.

"To make it and build it and get everyone to follow? Amazing.

"That's why, when I was Barcelona manager, I went to see Johan many times. I made especially sure I went a lot in my first year when we won everything, absolutely everything."





Is Cruyff one of the top five players of all time?

Let us know in the comments.

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Topics: Football News, Football, Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax, Johan Cruyff