Kidnap attempt forced Cruyff out of 1978 WC

Former Dutch soccer star Johan Cruyff claims a kidnap attempt, in which he says a rifle was held to his head, played a part in his decision to skip the 1978 World Cup.
Cruyff said the incident occurred the previous year, when he was nearing the end of a five-year stint with FC Barcelona.
“To play a World Cup you have to be 200 per cent,” Cruyff told Catalunya Radio on Tuesday. “I had a rifle at my head, I was tied up, my wife tied up, the children were in the apartment in Barcelona. There are moments when there are other values in life.”
Cruyff didn't say why his family was targeted or how the kidnap attempt failed. He told the radio station that police guarded his house for four months and escorted his children to school.
At the time, Cruyff's decision to skip the tournament in Argentina was widely attributed to his dislike of that country's military dictatorship. He also was at odds with the Dutch soccer federation at the time.
The Netherlands reached the final in 1978, losing 3-1 to host Argentina. Four years earlier, Cruyff led his country to its first World Cup final, when it lost to host West Germany 2-1.