# Did Johan Cruyff avoid the 1978 World Cup due to protest, security, or retirement? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603 "2005-02-06T02:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603/1 "2005-02-06T02:44:39Z")
Several times, when a World Cup of Football (Soccer, for the USA crowd) was going on, a history of World Cups was regularly published in the main newspaper in the old country. It reported that the reason the Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff was missing in Argentina 78 was that he had retired, and that he even refused an appeal from the queen of Holland to play for the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup! Years later, I found how rightist the mainstream press is in Latin America: it turned out that Cruyff refused to participate because he was protesting the military dictatorship in Argentina! But recently, I saw other reports in the British press and elsewhere that only say that Cruyff refused to go because of "security concerns”. Could it be that Cruyff was so aloud with his protests to the Argentinean military that he got threatened? What is the straight dope on this? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603/2 "2005-02-06T02:49:06Z")
That’s a good question. Dutch football has had a long tradition of the star players being difficult to get along with. Van Basten was plagued with injuries. Gullit was always arguing with coaches. Even without Cruyff, the Dutch still made it to the final in 1978. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603/3 "2005-02-06T07:33:17Z")
This site says it was a dispute with the Dutch FA [http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/cruyff.html](http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/cruyff.html) This guy speculates that Cruyff was threatened by Argentinian terrorists: [http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/8885/Cruyff.htm](http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/8885/Cruyff.htm) However the vast majority of sites state that Cruyff just didn’t want to play anymore internationally, he didn’t like the coach and the management and what he got paid. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603/4 "2005-02-06T07:54:36Z")
Thanks for that **BobT** , the reason why I asked was because I do remember the shock of finding information that contradicted the mainstream newspapers. Indeed, I was not imagining it: I did more searchs and this more official site gives credence to the political angle: [http://2002.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/02/en/pf/h/pwc/1978.html](http://2002.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/02/en/pf/h/pwc/1978.html) > [@](#): > > Having reached the final in 1930, Argentina had to wait a while before winning the FIFA World Cup™, which they eventually did on own soil in 1978. The great support for the home team helped carry them to victory over the Netherlands in the final, Cruyff having turned his back as he refused to travel to Argentina because of the political situation. > > Argentina were outplayed by Italy in the opening round group games, but charged back to reach the final with a 6-0 win over Peru. > > In Daniel Passarella, Osvaldo Ardiles and Mario Kempes, top scorer with six goals, they had outstanding players. They beat the Dutch 3-1 after extra time in the final. > > A long-awaited success > > Rarely has the run-up to a FIFA World Cup been so filled with controversy as the 11th tournament, held in Argentina. Football, in fact, took a back seat as the powers that be debated whether or not to boycott the tournament in protest against General Videla’s totalitarian regime and its violation of human rights. Finally, however, despite a widespread call to stay away, the world’s footballing nations all made the trip to Argentina. All, that is, except those that had failed to qualify, such as England (for the second time running), Yugoslavia and the USSR. Other “minor” footballing nations such as Iran and Tunisia had their first outings and France was back in the world’s top football competition after twelve years in the wilderness. Could it be that the majority of the sites may be also using as it source the same biased press of the day? I’m tempted on trying to contact Cruyff himself, anyone knows how to get in contact with him? ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-johan-cruyff-avoid-the-1978-world-cup-due-to-protest-security-or-retirement/288603/5 "2005-02-06T17:24:31Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > … > > I’m tempted on trying to contact Cruyff himself, anyone knows how to get in contact with him? This may be a long shot but you might find him through the following site. I think it might be his latest business venture. [http://www.greenyroom.com/ukindex.htm](http://www.greenyroom.com/ukindex.htm)