For Johan Cruyff, he was one of only four men worth listening to when they talked about football. Now Wim Jansen has passed away.
Wim Jansen may also have left his mark on the history of German football forever – with his foul on Bernd Hölzenbein, if that was what it was, in the 1974 World Cup final. Paul Breitner converted the penalty kick that was due, Gerd Müller turned the game around and Germany were world champions.
As in 1974, the midfielder (65 caps for the Netherlands) was the loser in the final four years later, but his career had far more highs than lows. Even before rivals Ajax’s winning streak, Jansen, who described his club as “my life”, won the 1970 European Champion Clubs’ Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam.
“One of the greatest in our history” was not only mourned by Feyenoord on Tuesday, however. Jansen will also be remembered in Glasgow these days – at least at Celtic. As coach of the “Hoops”, his star acquisition was Henrik Larsson, he had prevented the then overpowering Rangers from celebrating ten championships in a row in 1998.
One of the four men who, according to his former teammate Johan Cruyff, were worth listening to when they talked about football, turned 75.