Industry News

Amsterdam ArenA to be renamed in Cruyff’s honour

Dutch Eredivisie football team Ajax has reached an agreement to name its home stadium after club legend Johan Cruyff.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the club, the board of the Amsterdam ArenA and city authorities to rename the stadium the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

Ajax said the proposal would be submitted in a final contract to the relevant authorities within six months. Cruyff will also have a street, square, bridge or other monument in the city named after him, the club confirmed.

Cruyff passed away on March 24, 2016. He is regarded as one of the most influential players and managers of all time, and was a proponent of the ‘Total Football’ philosophy.

Cruyff played for Ajax from 1964 to 1973, and again between 1981 and 1983, before managing the club from 1985 to 1988. He won the European Cup three times with Ajax as a player, and went on to win it again as manager of Barcelona in 1992.

The Mayor of Amsterdam spoke to Cruyff’s family in the aftermath of his death about the possibility of making a permanent tribute, and it was eventually agreed that the Amsterdam ArenA would be renamed in his honour.

The announcement was made yesterday (Tuesday), on what would have been Cruyff’s 70th birthday.