Ajax unveil statue of club legend Johan Cruyff outside Johan Cruyff Arena, fans delighted

The late Johan Cruyff was central to Ajax’s domination of European football in the 1970s and is, in every sense of the word, a club legend. The iconic Dutchman played an integral role as he brought Dutch football to the forefront and made Ajax a powerhouse in Europe. In his honour, a statue of Johan Cruyff was inaugurated outside Ajax’s stadium, the Johan Cruyff Arena on Friday afternoon. Also Read: Barcelona Transfer News: Van De Beek, Memphis Depay And Michael Keane On Koeman's Wishlist Ajax news: Johan Cruyff statue unveiled View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFC Ajax (@afcajax) on Aug 21, 2020 at 8:47am PDT The Johan Cruyff statute was unveiled by another Ajax legend, Frank Rijkaard, and a delegation of Ajax supporters. The life-sized bronze statue has been placed right outside the main entrance of the Johan Cruyff Arena. The Johan Cruyff statue was made possible via a fundraising campaign run on behalf of the Ajax Supporters Delegation, with artist Hans Jouta designing the likeness. Jouta is also credited with creating the statue of Bobby Haarms which is placed outside the Johan Cruyff Arena. In a lightning-quick fundraising campaign, Ajax supporters managed to raise €75,000 within 3 months for the Johan Cruyff statue. The Johan Cruyff statue has been designed in such a way that it sees Johan Cruyff travelling with the ball at his feet, with the iconic number 14 on his back visible as well. In honour of Johan Cruyff, Ajax had earlier retired the number 14 shirt. Also Read: Barcelona News: Koeman To Take Over & Wants Van De Beek, Abidal Continues, Messi Latest Fans and footballers react to the Johan Cruyff statue unveiling This wonderful statue of the one and only @JohanCruyff was unveiled in front of our stadium today. Thanks to all our fans who have made this possible. It's a lovely gesture and it makes our Johan Cruyff ArenA an even more special place to be. ♥️ #vooraltijdnr14 pic.twitter.com/b17eEetWbE — Edwin van der Sar (@vdsar1970) August 21, 2020 After the inauguration of the statue, Ajax took to social media to share pictures of the bronze likeness outside the Johan Cruyff Arena. The club also shared a video of Frank Rijkaard speaking at the inauguration ceremony. Following the reveal, several members of the football fraternity paid their tribute to the legendary Dutchman's statue. To all Ajax fans, thank you on behalf of my family for this lovely gesture. My father would be very proud of you. ♥️ #CruyffLegacy https://t.co/fmyeEHnbgT — Jordi Cruyff (@JordiCruyff) August 21, 2020 Also Read: Barcelona Unveil Ronald Koeman As New Manager, Here's How Fans On Social Media Reacted Edwin van der Sar took to Twitter to share his excitement at seeing the statue outside the Johan Cruyff Arena. The former goalkeeper thanked all the fans who made the creation of the statue possible, concluding that the statue now makes the Johan Cruyff Arena an even more special place to be. Johan Cruyff’s son Jordi also shared a video with the sculptor of the statue, thanking all the fans on behalf of the Cruyff family for the lovely gesture. Even Barcelona took to social media to praise Ajax for the Johan Cruyff Statue. Notably, Barcelona had unveiled a Johan Cruyff statue of their own outside Camp Nou last year. Echt spot on! Wow ❤ — Bart (@BartOlthoff) August 21, 2020 Also Read: Ronald Koeman Wants Lyon Forward Memphis Depay To Replace Luis Suarez At Barcelona Several fans also expressed their delight at seeing the iconic statue. Fans compared the club legend to god, saying that it was about time Ajax made a statute for Johan Cruyff. Others also reacted to the statue’s resemblance to the player, praising it for its design. Image Courtesy: Twitter/afcajax

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Ajax unveil statue of club legend Johan Cruyff outside Johan Cruyff Arena, fans delighted

Ajax took to social media to reveal the new Johan Cruyff Statue inaugurated outside the Johan Cruyff Arena, honouring the legend's legacy.

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