Three Ballon d’Or awards, player of the tournament at the 1974 World Cup, three European Cups as a player for Ajax, another as manager of Barcelona.

Architect of the one and only revolution the game has ever seen, Total Football.

But, to leave it there would be all sausage and no sizzle. It’s character we crave, and Cruijff? He had character.

Don’t forget, we are talking about Johan Cruijff, Feyenoord Legend.

Amsterdam is scattered with Brown Cafes (Bruine Kroegen). Tight, traditional, dimly-lit bars, aptly named due to their dark wooden furnishings, smoke stained wallpaper, and questionable carpet-adorned tables. Walk into any of these cafes in the Dutch capital and you will find framed pictures of Johan Cruijff sporting the red and white of Ajax, or the Oranje or The Netherlands.

He is the city’s hero, and rightly so.

After coming through the Ajax Academy, Cruijff led the Amsterdam club to lofty heights. Three European Cups and eight league titles, collected either side of five seasons at Barcelona and a stint in the States. He was loved, he was revered…until, one day, at least by the club’s board, he wasn’t.

It’s 1983, Cruijff is 36 and has just led Ajax to another league and cup double, his phone rings and Ajax tell him they won’t be renewing his contract.

Angered, motivated, what Cruijff did next was almost unthinkable, he signed for Ajax’s bitter rivals Feyenoord.

Feyenoord vs Ajax is not just a rivalry. It’s the most policed game in Europe — there is a not-so-secret tunnel from the closest train station to the Ajax away end of what is now called the Johan Cruijff Arena which is utilised only when the Rotterdam club come to town, to lead Feyenoord fans to their seats in safety.

This was a signing that pleased nobody expected.

But it happened. Six foot tall, tight shorts, lean, muscular legs, magic stored within. Hair brushed to one the side, chest pushed forward, Johan Cruijff took to the pitch in a Feyenoord kit.

Feyenoord fans were quickly won over.

League champions. Cup champions. 33/34 league games played. 11 goals. 3 assists. Voted Dutch Footballer of the Year (5th time).

Retired.

Vindicated.

Johan Cruijff. Feyenoord Legend.

His stint at Parma FC from 1996-99 made his name and stole his heart.

Italian football was at its peak, the best league in the world, and little-old-Parma won the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup in 1998-99. Enrico also became a father to his son, Federico.

His heart would not forget Parma, and Enrico, having retired in 2009-10, became a fully fledged, match-going leader of Boys Parma. The Ultras.

Family and football. Everything.

One year later, when Serie A introduced lunchtime (12:30) kick offs at the behest of TV broadcaster money — “you can have lunch with your family or go to the football, not both” — it was Enrico who lead the backlash, marshalling the Boys Parma.

Everything came to a head against Roma one sunny Sunday in late October, their first lunchtime kick off. The revolt began.

As the teams took to the pitch, the crowd inhaled.

The crowd braced themselves.

The crowd took a deep breath.

Then, passionately, the crowd flew into their retaliation.

One by one, ultra by ultra, the entire Boys Parma unit reached into their pockets, took out a homemade sandwich, and started to eat.

Enrico Chiesa, 1990, via Football Italia:

“Seeing as this is lunchtime, especially for families who we are supposed to bring back to the stadiums, we invite all the fans to come to the Curva Nord with a sandwich,” read a statement by the Boys ultra group.

“Let us all bring a sandwich and eat it when the teams step on to the pitch. We’ll eat to show those who think the only fans are to be fleeced sitting at home on their sofas.”

Do not get between Italians and their family.