Johan Cruyff would have turned 75 this year and his Cruyff Foundation exists 25 years. This is why anniversary activities have been organized throughout the year, including today’s prestigious events: The Open Day and the Cruyff Legacy Summit.
The special day was kicked off with the Cruyff Foundation Open Day. A unique, annual day arranged for children with disabilities to try out sports and discover which ones suit them best. The Cruyff Foundation has been running these days for more than 20 years in collaboration with different sports providers who provide specialist clinics. King Willem-Alexander played sports with the kids together with ambassadors of the Cruyff Foundation including Sarina Wiegman, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman, Esther Vergeer and Marlou van Rhijn. Johan Cruyff always thought the Open Day was one of the most beautiful days of the year, his wife Danny Cruyff also said.
The Cruyff Legacy Summit was then organized in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam with prominent personalities from the sports world taking part. King Willem-Alexander opened the special event, together with Tobias Nierop (who plays Johan Cruijff in the musical '14 het Verhaal') and children from the musical. Sarina Wiegman, Arsène Wenger, Tanja Dik, Marlou van Rhijn, Jordi Cruijff, Ronald Koeman and Frank Rijkaard talked about Johan's view on sport and society, with a focus on three pillars on which the management of the sport of the future is built: sustainability, leadership and inclusiveness.
Jordi Cruyff, Sporting Director at FC Barcelona:
“Every time we see a new Cruyff Court open or new graduates receive their Johan Cruyff Institute diplomas, I feel very proud of my father and his legacy. Our duty as a family is to keep his legacy alive and this summit gives us the chance to show how grateful we are to everyone who helps us to do that.”
One Legacy, Many Reasons to Celebrate