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29 March 2024

Chelsea upsurge began with Gullit

Published
By Reuters

American crooner Tony Bennett often laments he left his heart in San Francisco and twice World Soccer Player of the Year Ruud Gullit feels similar emotions, albeit over a less glamorous location in south west London.

Chelsea were no more than mid-table mediocrities in the early 1990s, seemingly on a road to nowhere, and their transformation into a European powerhouse can be traced back to the shock signing of Gullit from AC Milan in 1995.

The dreadlocked Dutchman wowed the fans for a season from midfield before, as manager, ending the London club's 26-year trophy famine by winning the 1997 FA Cup. Nine months later, however, he was sacked out of the blue - a decision that baffles him to this day.

"I loved it at Chelsea - it was really enjoyable," Gullit told Reuters in an interview ahead of the club's Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the German team's Allianz Arena stadium on Saturday.

"That decision still frustrates me. Why? Why? Why? - for what reason did they do that?".

Ken Bates, now chairman of second tier Leeds United, made front and back page headlines by dismissing Gullit when Chelsea were second in the Premier League, in the quarter-finals of the now defunct European Cup Winners' Cup and the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Rarely has a manager been sacked in English football with such a healthy cv.

"It was an astonishing decision," said Gullit who coined the phrase 'sexy football' when commentating for BBC television at Euro 1996.

"I loved the brand of football we played. I think it was really enjoyable.

"We won the FA Cup in my first season and that was a great honour for me," added World Soccer's Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.

"Something started from there. Chelsea have now become a great club in Europe and I am happy for that."

 

ABRAMOVICH ERA

Gianluca Vialli took over from Gullit and under the Italian the club won the Cup Winners' Cup, League Cup and the European Super Cup in the space of seven months with a team that had been fashioned by the Dutchman.

Chelsea went on to compete in the Champions League for the first time before going from strength to strength under Roman Abramovich after the Russian billionaire bought the club from Bates in 2003.

Gullit was part of the great Dutch triumvirate, together with Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard, that helped AC Milan to Champions League final victories in 1989 and 1990.

For a footballer, he said, nothing compares to lifting "the cup with the big ears".

"Winning the Champions League is the greatest thing you can achieve as a player," said Gullit who will be working for Sky Sports television at Saturday's game.

The Dutchman said he would be proud if Roberto Di Matteo, a player he signed for Chelsea during his spell as manager and who was put in charge on an interim basis when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked in March, held the Champions League aloft on Saturday.

"I feel the same for Chelsea as I do for Milan," added Gullit. "For both clubs I feel a little more than I do about the other clubs I played for in my career.

"They are two clubs that I am very fond of. I hope Chelsea win on Saturday. I'll be very proud if they do."