Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
Ruud Krol: The World Cup meets Total Football
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December 8, 2022
9 minutes
Available for over a year
Dutch football start Ruud Krol tells Matthew Kenyon about the Netherlands’ campaign at the 1974 World Cup. The team, coached by Rinus Michels and featuring the great Johan Cruijff, stunned the football world with the quality of their performance, as they brought the ‘Total Football’ philosophy which Michels had instituted at Ajax to the global stage. They are still remembered as one of the greatest ever international teams.
(Photo: German Gerd Muller beats Ruud Krol (12) and Arie Haan to score in the World Cup final on 7th July 1974 in Munich. Credit: Getty Images)