Pioneer of 'total football' dies

Former Holland coach Rinus Michels, who pioneered ‘total football’ and led the country’s national team to their only major trophy in 1988, has died at the age of 77.

The official website of the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB), www.knvb.nl reported his death on Thursday morning.

Michels guided Holland to the World Cup final in 1974, when they lost 2-1 to West Germany in Munich, but in 1988 he returned to the Olympic Stadium as a winner when his team beat the Soviet Union 2-0 to win the European Championships.

However Michels is perhaps best known for creating ‘total football’ with the national team in the 1970s, with players like Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Ruud Krol and Rob Rensenbrink.