Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu pays tribute to Johan Cruyff

Barcelona's President Josep Maria Bartomeu gives a press conference at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on January 7, 2015
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Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says that Johan Cruyff, who passed away from lung cancer on Thursday, "changed the history" of the Spanish giants.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has paid tribute to Johan Cruyff after the Dutch football icon lost his battle with lung cancer on Thursday.

Cruyff, who was diagnosed with the disease last October, "died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by his family" at the age of 68, according to a statement.

Tributes have poured in for the former forward since the news was announced, and Bartomeu has taken to Twitter to 'thank Cruyff for changing the history of Barcelona'.

"Both as a player and as a manager, you changed the history of our club. Thank you Johan," Bartomeu tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

Cruyff represented Barcelona as a player between 1973 and 1978, before managing the Spanish giants between 1988 and 1996, where he won four La Liga titles and the European Cup.

Former footballer and manager, Johan Cruyff looks on during the Open de Espana ProAm held at Real Club de Golf el Prat on May 13, 2015
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