Latest news with #RuudGullit
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ruud Gullit unleashes on Chelsea: Blues legend reveals three reasons why he is concerned for his former club as he admits 'I can't understand them'
Three decades have passed, but his catchphrase never gets old. 'Everybody loves the sexy football,' says a smiling Ruud Gullit in his unmistakable Dutch accent. The Netherlands legend coined the term while working as a BBC pundit at Euro 96. However, Gullit found nothing sexy about English football when he joined on a from Sampdoria, 30 years ago on Tuesday.
Mint
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Dutch legend Ruud Gullit: How football DNA shaped this year's Champions League semifinalists
The semi-finalists for this year's Champions League are a surprising mix of teams that worked through their adversities and found their identities over the course of the season—a journey that has thrilled Ruud Gullit. 'I'm so happy for them," the Dutch football legend said, "and what makes me happier is that all four teams play attacking football." Gullit, who once formed one of the game's most feared attacking trios with Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard, is a staunchadvocate of "Total Football", the flowing, attack-minded, space-exploiting, mode of play masterminded by fellow Dutch legend, the late Johann Cruyff. It's a style of play that, crucially, gave new identities to Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona, clubs where Cruyff reigned as both player and manager, a "DNA", as Gullit calls it, that still defines both clubs. Gullit shared his views on the Champions League, his favourite players, the importance of "DNA" for a football team, and things that annoy him in modern football in a conversation on the sidelines of the Laureus Sports Awards, which took place in Madrid on 21 April. Held annually by the global sports charity Laureus Foundation, of which Gullit is a member, the awards honored some of the best sportspeople in the world this year, including gymnast Simone Biles, tennis star Rafael Nadal and Barcelona's thrilling new talent, Lamine Yamal. Edited excerpts: No, they have all surprised us through the season, transformed themselves over the season. I am very happy with the four teams, and what I like most is that all four play attacking football. Inter is the most defensive one, playing a 3-5-2 with very strong defence, because they are an Italian team of course, but even they attack very well. Arsenal, PSG and Barcelona all play 4-3-3, and among them I think PSG have a little bit more power in the way they play. They all need to play at their tempo, keep the ball, stick with their tactics and just give it their all. The two teams with the young players, Barcelona and PSG, who I'm most excited about and I'm looking forward to seeing them play. An exceptional player, so good. It's become very difficult for the inside players now because everyone can run, and everyone is tactically aware. Everyone can press and close down spaces, so it's very crowded in the middle. The space is on the outside, and that's why you see that's where all the great players at the moment play, like Yamal. It's hard to predict. As usual, anything can happen. Even in the quarterfinals, PSG was almost outed, Barcelona was almost outed, but they scraped through. But I'm also happy to see the new Champions League structure by UEFA has given more teams the chance to shine. So you had teams like Aston Villa, Lille, PSV Eindhoven, who are unknown in the Champions League making their mark this time, and all of them got to make some money which they can put back into the grassroots of their clubs. The DNA of a football club is so important. PSG found their identity after they stopped chasing the most expensive players in the world and started looking inward to build something from the ground up. Look at the difference that has made, the players they have now– (Bradley) Barcola, (Ousmane Dembele), they have all come into their own. Vitinha, who wasn't even good enough for Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), is now the best player for PSG, and may end up being the most influential player in the Champions League. I enjoy this, it's good to see players find themselves. Barcelona lost their way for a little while and then they returned to the identity that was formed by (Johan) Cruyff and they stuck to it, even when they played bad, or made some wrong decisions, or bought players that did not fit that DNA. So, they went back to their roots, to the youth, to their academy, to the young players raised in the Barca system, Cruyff's system, and then look at them now. Chelsea suffer because they don't have a DNA. They don't know how they want to play and what they want to do. Manchester united have lost their identity too. I feel for the fans because these teams have become unrecognizable. No one knows what to expect any more from them. On the other hand, (Jurgen) Klopp set the DNA for Liverpool and it was rock n' roll. Now Arne Slot is following the same blueprint, perhaps a little more prudent and a little less rock n' roll, but the same thing, the same system. Slot even brought some players back to form, he made (Virgil) van Dijk play much better, and (Ryan) Gravenberch has become unbelievable. That's a great achievement. Joshua Kimmich. I like him very much. So organised in the midfield. He has great eyes and he is very good with the ball, and moves the ball extremely well. (Alexis) Mac Allister is another fantastic player. I don't like goalkeepers with possession—that's the job of the midfielders! Too many goalkeepers now hold the ball, try and dribble, create very dangerous situations for the defence and for themselves and the team. I don't understand that at all. Rudraneil Sengupta is the author of Enter the Dangal, Travels through India's Wrestling Landscape.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gullit explains how to fix Milan: Liverpool, Klopp and Slot example
Former Milan and Chelsea midfielder Ruud Gullit has explained how the Rossoneri can look to Premier League side Liverpool as an example of how to run the club and bring supporters back onside after an underwhelming 2024-25 campaign that has left the team at risk of missing out on European football for next season. Milan currently sit in ninth place in the Serie A standings, which will not be enough to qualify for any UEFA competition if the standings remain the same until the end of the 2024-25 season. Advertisement There is still hope of qualifying for the Europa League through winning the Coppa Italia. The Rossoneri will play against Inter in the second-leg of their semi-final on Wednesday evening after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Gullit explains how to fix Milan Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Wednesday, Gullit explained why the relationship between the club and its supporters has diminished over the course of the current season, and what they need to do in order to fix the situation. MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 21: Ruud Gullit poses at the Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2025 at Galería de Cristal on April 21, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo byfor Laureus) He believes that identifying the club's 'DNA' and making decisions that fit into the club's chosen philosophy, like he believes Liverpool have done, is the best way to go about it. Advertisement 'I was there before Christmas for the Genoa game and it was horrible,' Gullit told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'The Milan players struggle to accept this reality, they don't recognise it. 'I talk about DNA because it's important if you want to rediscover your essence. I think of Liverpool: Klopp left, they took Slot, but didn't reinvent themselves. People recognise the distinctive features of their club. 'Milan have to decide what they want to be, and then take the coach and players to put that idea into practice.'
BBC News
12-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Tottenham v Man Utd: Did you know?
Tottenham are unbeaten in their past four Premier League games against Manchester United (W2 D2) and they will be looking to complete the league double over the Red Devils for the first time since Postecoglou is unbeaten in all three of his Premier League games against United. Only three managers have played their first four against them without losing before - Ruud Gullit, Nuno Espirito Santo and Unai Ruben Amorim took charge of Manchester United in November, only five sides have picked up fewer points in the Premier League (14). Amorim is only the fourth United manager to lose seven or more of his first 13 top-flight games in charge, alongside John Chapman (10), A.H, Albut and Jimmy Murphy (both seven).
