When the Netherlands lost the 1974 World Cup final to Germany, Johan Cruyff became a convert to the concept of the moral victory. Cruyff, as Simon Kuper recounts in his book ‘Barca’, was entering a brave new world “for a man who cheated at dominos and Monopoly to beat his kids”. A German journalist called this loss at Munich “the melancholy zenith” of Cruyff’s career but Kuper points out that it made a profound impact on Cruyff who would argue that his country really won the final and had made them more famous than victory could have. He carried this…

Want to continue reading?

Introductory offer: Sign up today and pay €200 for an annual membership, a saving of €50.

Subscribe

Cancel at any time.

Are you already a member? .