5 of the best Player-Manager combinations of all time in football

#2 Johan Cruyff-Rinus Michels

Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels dominated European football in the early 70s

Two brilliant football minds combined in the early 1970s to usher in a new philosophy in world football. Michels and Cruyff combined to make Ajax Amsterdam and the Dutch national team almost unbeatable.

Their philosophy of “total football” was based on quick improvisation by the players in terms of positioning themselves and wresting possession back. Michels and Cruyff later went to Barcelona and inculcated the same playing style there which Barcelona’s football still continues to be based upon.

Ajax won 3 consecutive European Cups from 1971 to 1973 and became the World’s best team. Cruyff scored 265 goals from 325 matches for them and continued the good work for the Dutch national side.

Michels was the coach of the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup and enthralled the world with their “total football”. Their short passing and free-flowing game, however, was not enough to win them the trophy as they lost 1-2 to hosts West Germany in the final.

Players like Ruud Krol, Johan Neeskens and Suurbier were there, but Cruyff was their talisman and won the Golden Ball for being the best player in that tournament.