Soccer-Barcelona to name one of its stadiums after Johan Cruyff

By Richard Martin

BARCELONA, March 25 (Reuters) - La Liga champions Barcelona will pay tribute to visionary midfielder and coach Johan Cruyff by naming one of their new stadiums after the late Dutchman and his statue will also be erected at the Nou Camp.

The club are planning to relocate their Mini Estadi, the home of their B team and occasional venue for their women's team, to their training ground and president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the new ground will be named the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

"Cruyff broke down barriers, he was the man who made us lift our heads up and see that nothing is impossible," Bartomeu said at a presentation on Saturday, a day after Cruyff's first death anniversary.

"His death was a huge loss, not just for everyone connected with Barcelona but also for anyone who loves football."

Cruyff, who died of lung cancer aged 68, signed for Barca from Ajax in 1973 and helped them to a first league title in 14 years in his first campaign. He stayed until 1978.

He is seen by many as the godfather of the modern Barcelona, coaching the club to their first European Cup in 1992 and instilling a style of football imitated by future managers.

Bartomeu also revealed plans for a special space dedicated to Cruyff at the club's museum. Cruyff's son Jordi, a former Barca player, said the family would donate his father's old jersey and the Ballon d'Or trophy he won in 1974 to the museum.

Vice-president Jordi Cardoner said the club had asked the Barcelona city hall to rename one of the streets adjacent to the stadium after the Dutchman. (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)