Ahead of AC Milan’s big game against Napoli, Gazzetta dello Sport has interviewed Ruud Gullit to get the Rossoneri legend’s take on the fixture as well as the situation in the standings.
Gullit knows a thing or two about playing Napoli away from home. In 1988, he helped orchestrate a comeback from 2-0 behind against Diego Armando Maradona’s side; a decisive game for Milan to snatch the Scudetto from the Partenopei.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport for today’s edition, the former midfielder shared his thoughts on what the fixture means. He also discussed Milan’s current situation in the standings, stating that it would be a disaster without the Champions League.
“It reminds me of Chelsea, another team that is… an enigma at the moment. I honestly haven’t understood what kind of football Milan wants to play. In my opinion, they haven’t found the right direction.
“On paper, the squad is strong, especially after the January transfer window, and the victory in the Italian Supercoppa seemed to have solved all the problems. However, that wasn’t the case: that victory in Saudi Arabia didn’t convey any real confidence to the group and there hasn’t been a significant improvement compared to the first part of the season.”
As PSG did, when they stopped buying stars, they took a coach, Luis Enrique, with a brilliant playing philosophy and valorised the youth sector. Another example is Liverpool, who replaced Klopp with a coach with the same philosophy, and Slot is winning the Premier League. Milan need to rediscover their roots, their DNA. Success cannot be bought, but must be sought with work and the right choices.
I don’t know who the right choice is. What matters is hiring a coach who fits the club’s identity, whatever that may be. Inter, for example, has its own philosophy and a clear playing system, a coach who puts it into practice to perfection and elements suited to the 3-5-2. Milan must rediscover their DNA and find a direction at the management level before even thinking about the right manager.”
.His last seasons have been incredible, and he is a player who is exciting us. I have known him since his youth days at AZ Alkmaar and I am very proud of the progress he has made. He has become a world-class player, scoring many goals and playing great consistently.”
Reijnders will be the protagonist tomorrow in Napoli-Milan, the match that gave you your first Scudetto in 1988. What do you remember about that match.
It was a great adventure (laughs) because I had never been to Naples in my life. On Saturday, before leaving, I was perplexed because the players and the technical staff were on one plane, while on another smaller one, there were several security personnel and… the food.
“When we arrived at the Jolly Hotel in Naples, we occupied the entire top floor, which was protected by our bodyguards, and only they could get close to the food that was being cooked by the chefs who had left with us. There was the fear that someone might eat something bad and then not be able to play (laughs).
When we were going to the stadium on the bus, they threw oranges, stones and all kinds of objects at us. There was a crazy atmosphere, but we won.”
On Maradona…
“Challenging a champion like him was electrifying: Diego was an incredible champion. The Neapolitan crowd was also exceptional, applauding us after that success. Truly unforgettable.”
For years, I had silently supported the South African party that fought against apartheid, but when I won the Ballon d’Or, I decided to dedicate it to Mandela who was in prison. In Italy, his story was not known and many did not know who he was. When I met him in South Africa, ‘Madiba’ told me that he had feared that I would be punished. His words were moving.
It would be a disaster. The Rossoneri are behind and their catch-up will be tough, but they have to give their all. They can still do it.”
The Rossoneri are coming off back-to-back comeback wins, so perhaps we will see another one – as requested by Gullit – tomorrow evening. It would certainly keep the Champions League dream alive, even if it remains difficult for Sergio Conceicao and his men to achieve it.
