Johan Cruyff diagnosed with lung cancer

The successful former Barcelona player and manager underwent a double heart bypass in 1991 and has again fallen ill

Dutch football icon Johan Cruyff has been diagnosed with lung cancer, a Barcelona spokesman has confirmed to Goal.

Reports emerged in Spain on Thursday morning that the 68-year-old, who won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax before playing and managing Barca, has fallen ill, though no further details have emerged so far.

Cruyff, who underwent a double heart bypass in 1991 while in charge at Camp Nou, is thought to be undergoing tests to determine the extent of the disease.

A spokesman of Cruyff confirmed to RTL (Dutch news channel) that Cruyff will give a statement later today.

The stylish playmaker spent 11 years across two spells with Ajax, winning eight Eredivisie titles as well as the European Cup on three successive occasions in the early 1970s.

Cruyff lifted one La Liga title during a five-year stint at Barca, and, after a spell in charge of Ajax, he returned to Camp Nou to manage the Catalan giants, where he won four successive Liga crowns while also leading what became known as 'The Dream Team' to European glory for the first time in the club's history in 1992.

A World Cup finalist in 1974, Cruyff was the main playing protagonist of the 'Total Football' style employed by both Ajax and the Dutch national team in their prime in the 1970s.