Rinus Michels; Dutch Coach Was a Towering Figure in International Soccer
LA Times
Rinus Michels, “the father of Dutch football” and one of international soccer’s towering figures, has died. He was 77.
Michels died Thursday at a hospital in Aalst, Belgium, two weeks after undergoing heart surgery.
Affectionately known as “the General” or “the Sphinx” because of his stern manner on the field, Michels was a warm and humorous character off it.
He coached the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League in the late 1970s but achieved his greatest fame with Holland’s Ajax Amsterdam and Spain’s Barcelona teams, as well as the Dutch national team.
Johan Cruyff, one of soccer’s legendary players who starred on all four of those teams, said Michels’ impact was tremendous and lasting.
“I always greatly admired his leadership,” Cruyff said on his website. “He was always very clear in what he wanted and what he expected from you…. There is nobody who taught me as much as him. I will miss Rinus Michels.”
Dutch World Cup soccer cap on eBay
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
width="120"
height="240"
scrolling="no"
marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
frameborder="0">
