Labelled "The Black Tulip", Ruud Gullit was a revelation of a footballer. The 1987 World Player of the Year rose to prominence after a couple of standout years at PSV, earning him a record-transfer move to AC Milan where he became a legend of the sport. A total-footballer, his real strength was how complete his game was from such a young age, capable of moving from sweeper to striker in the same game with ease. In his prime, no-one could touch the Amsterdammer, but what's his story?
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Upbringing in Amsterdam
0:58 - Balboaplein & Frank Rijkaard
1:20 - Dutch U-21s & HFC Haarlem
3:02 - Feynoord
5:20 - PSV & Global Recognition
6:53 - Problems in Eindhoven
7:57 - Moving on to Milan
8:39 - The Rossineri in Transition
9:54 - The Ballon D'Or, Mandela, & Reggae
10:39 - Fierce Competiton & Scudetto
11:25 - Euro '88
12:43 - Rijkaard completes the Dutch Trio
13:19 - Return to the European Cup
14:50 - Injured!
15:13 - 1990 Final & Italia 90
16:55 - Sacchi Out, Capello In
17:26 - Invincibles
17:50 - Clash with Capello
18:07 - Sampdoria
18:47 - World Cup 1994, International Retirement & Leaving Italy
19:31 - Chelsea
20:21 - Player/Manager & FA Cup Success
20:59 - Ken Bates Fall-Out & Full Playing Retirement
21:18 - The Legend of Ruud Gullit
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#gullit #acmilan #netherlands
I never knew Gullit and Rijkard were childhood friends. The friendship must be instrumental in getting both of them to the top level. It should be a movie
Actually Gullit, Rijkaard and van Basten are soulmates. There’s no doubt about it
@@Usernumber777 but the duo Gullit and Rijkaard were identical
Owen and Gerrard were too. It's not that unusual given the best teams scout for the best players in the area.
how you call the movie? from the spits of Rijkaard and Gullit to Milano
they look like the same people
There was a period when Gullit was the best in the world in 3 or 4 positions. If he played in Midfield, he was world class, in defence, on the wing. That's very rare indeed.
Very rare? GOAT... Name another player who can come close to fulfilling that statement? I couldn't think of any, I can think of lots who would sulk and cry if they didn't get to play where they wanted to play though
That is so so true👍..I remember when he went to play for Chelsea under Glen Hoddle(who was a fantastic Midfield player in his day) and after one successful outing he was being interviewed &was asked where does Ruud Gullitt play?and Hoddle's response was ,'Ruud play's where he wants to.' Hoddle was no fool& respected Genius!
@@calgakispict3652 Only Pele had this ability in so many positions. It is the true beginning of any GOAT conversation.
Gerrard, gullit, seedorf and matthaus took having all the trades of football to the next level.
@@kylegill4932 And as a pure Midfield player (because Ruud moved around&I think started out as a 'Sweeper')Lothar Mathius was Numero Uno!..And I have to admit to not having a better appreciation of how Brilliant and commanding he was until the last few yrs!
This man will always be known for the interview when the reporter asked him "Do you feel the pressure ?" he answered "no , when theres kids crying and theres no food on the table thats pressure" Hes all class.
Haha. I see where Damian Lillard got it from then.
Alan Shearer said something similar when asked if he feels pressure when taking a penalty.
Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten made me love AC Milan to this day.
Me 2
Love it when you talk about these legends who most young people these days have only heard of but never really take the time to get to know.
Seem them all play live. Pity not Pelé
Gen Z think it’s only about Ronaldo and Messi because they’re brainwashed by the social media circus
These young only live in the moment. They don’t know anything outside the 2010s lol 😂
there's a thing called "gullit gang" on fifa if the player has at least 80 overall on each individual stat showing on the card. So every kid playing fifa knows him but not all his story, it was a great video!
I was 6 maybe 7 years old and he, Van Basten and Rijkaard was my dream team. His unique look combined with amazing skills made in love with nr 10.
Dutch, European, & World football will be incomplete if Gullit is not mentioned. This guy had it all and of course a decorated champion 🏆
No arguments here! ,Today's players couldnt live with him(or his two Brilliant Colleages Can Bastein and Rykaard)Ruud was a football Genius,winning and playing football the type that fans want to see for his Dutch league teams, National side and that fantastic Milano team of the late 80's! This was football,not the manicured,contrived BS,we're seeing now!
What an absolutely waste of an opportunity the 1990 World Cup was just because Michels, who at the time was working with the Dutch FA, ignored the will of the players and blocked Cruyff from becoming the coach of the Dutch team. That squad had world class players from back to front but was completely mismanaged, it's a shame Michels could not put his pride aside.
Yup, that Holland 1990 squad was insane...what a waste indeed...
Very true. At least they won the Euros in 88. Play better teams in the Euros than in the WC more often.
Loaded 90 team
I stil mentioned this week Jan 2023 that Michels fucked the Dutch football. Michel new when Cruyff would win the WK, Michels star would shine less!
Michels wanted to maintain his stardom but his decision actually fcked him up… he’s now remembered more for his terrible decision than the great things he has done… what a way to ruin everything
His headed goal in Euro 88 final was the first time I’d seen him. I spent the next day at the park trying to replicate it with my bad 80’s mullet.
It's funny because we did that with Pele's bullet against England that Banks saved! Whole body lean back wind up and full force like a mule kick! Unreal!
One of the most complete and versatile footballers, technically gifted and mentally tough as nails.
Not one of, Definitely THE most complete footballer of all time. The only player that comes close is Clarence Seedorf.
@@willyschitumba5914: c9, the real Ronaldo!!!
Gullit was a terrific player, and also a great pundit after. Top notch fella, and one of the Best HairStyles in football.
Yes. He was so handsome! One of my favourites, replaced by Messi.
Gullit was my hero. Before his knee injuries in 1989, he was the complete footballer. He had it all!
True. Since 1989 Gullit wasn't the same
After Pele and Maradona, prime Ronaldo Phenomenon is the goat. I also agree that Gullit is one of the best to ever play the game!
R9 is beter then both pele and Maradona. We all know there is 1 goat and that's messi. Cr7 right after
@@rayflower1915 Young Pelé > Young R9 All time Pelé >>>>>>> All time R9
@@saidblanco7696 pele played against people who had jobs
@@tanjiro776 Of course, because you asked the people who played against him. Or maybe you are referring to football as a job.
@@saidblanco7696 cry
The great Ruud Hullit. World class in every position.
It's Gullit
@@leepatrick9432 it's a joke
@@leepatrick9432 Pronounced Hullit in Dutch G is a guttural H
@@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633 And most English people pronounce it Hullit too.Unfortunately as you can't read properly you'd see it wasn't about the pronunciation of the name,it was about the spelling
Ruud Gullit is always my favourite player. Had he not suffered so many injuries in his career, he could have achieved more. Certainly, Gullit can be mentioned in the same breath as players like Messi, CR7, Ronaldo, Zidane and Ronaldinho.
As a number 8, 9, or 10 yes, anywhere else, Gullit is vastly superior.
24 goals and 13 assists playing as a sweeper ain’t half bad
Agree on Ronaldo, Zidane. He's far above Ronaldinho though who only had 2 peak seasons. He's a bit below CR7 and far below Messi.
@@daarom3472 The only one close to Cristiano is Leo; nobody else comes close.
@@eushaabdullah3930 salary wise yes. Skills wise no, achievements wise far from.
What a fantastic player he was. World class in so many positions. A real LEGEND!!!!!
This man should get mentioned far more often in the GOAT debate. He did it at a time when Italian and Dutch football were at an all time high, and when the players had far less protection. He could play everywhere, had the winning mentality, won everything - what more do you need?
Rudd always demonstrated unselfishness and provided great assists ... I remember Euro 1988... His assists wins the cup for Holland
Indeed, he was not in his best form at Euro 1988 so decided to serve the team. He scored the 1-0 in the final against the USSR.
One of the best players ever played. Great documentary btw
Thanks 🙏
Were talking about one of the greatest players ever. Gullit was a beast.
As a young'un I genuinely had no idea this guy was as legendary as he was. You almost wonder what his career might've looked like had he suffered fewer injuries
Van Basten had it a lot worse.
People often say "oh that guy was a beast", prime Gullit truly was a beast, impossible to play against.
deffo true. But a player from same era, Dutch and Milan, Van Basten, WOW if he didn't suffer a career ending type injury would have been up there with Pele, Messi, Maradonna. True greats all of them.
@Jonathan Eyett absolutely agree with that, it's such a shame because nowadays he'd be back within a year and fully fit. I'm pretty sure I heard him say a while back that because of the amount of operations to try and get back, his ankle is bone on bone now 😳
yeah it's a shame real clinical finisher with flair when needed.
@@jonathaneyett6531 gave the greatest defences in the world the complete run around, a great player, elegance personified.
Mental strongest ever.
The best player I ever physically saw, he was at Chelsea and played at Torquay for a pre season friendly, his passing ability was on another planet
Gullit was my hero . I remember as a teenager in west africa that I used NOT to have DINNER whenever he lost a game with (Holland or teams). He really made me love Holland and that why I went to visit Holland in 2000
That's freaking wholesome, what an impact he had on you. Great man indeed
thanks for this video. I learned that Rijkaard & Gullit were friends growing up & that their fathers were also friends.
yeah me too. Class
Gullit is a great guy and an legendary football player.
I have to say, there are quite a few very good football documentary channels on yt, but I have found that only yours has this nostalgic "proper documentary" feeling. It all feels very measured and professional. Good job and I hope your channel keeps growing, because you are certainly up there with the best of them.
I'm honestly ashamed that I never thought of him in the most complete player discussion. He had a great smile too. Seen him in a Korean football variety show.
Absolute monster of a player thanks for creating this content
Ruud is a Milan legend. Another great video from this excellent channel. Grazie.
thankyou for helping raise chelsea up. You and zola are the reasons why i follow chelsea today. Both were up there with my fav players of all time. Legend.
Same as me my friend, zola was an absolute menace.
I hate Chelsea as I'm Spurs, but you are right! Chelsea wouldn't be where they are now were it not for Hoddle and then the players he bought in to transform the club.
Ruud is one of my heroes even though I saw him play when he was a Chelsea,his later years!
The ultimate footballer, Mr football himself, Ruud Gullit.
For a somewhat small population the Netherlands have made some absolute ballers
Regi Blinker was brilliant
their influence on football is strong
@@user-qd6im2hp2e absolutely
A lot of smaller countries have strong football cultures. Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Uruguay, Croatia etc
@@Luso00_ but Netherlands stands out for imo for having the best players for a small nation
My son is 23 now, big fan of M’Bappé. I’ve tried to convince him that M’Bappé looks like Gullit, only that Gullit was a much more complete player. In his prime years Ruud Gullit had no competition: athletic, fast, powerfull, technical…. No wonder Milan bought him. With Rijkaard en Van Basten it became one of the greatest club teams ever.
I was lucky enough to see him play live once. Pure class
One of my childhood hero’s and still is 🙏❤️ thank you mr Ruud Gullit
Ruud absolute baller, he and Cruijff together at Feyenoord was something to see.
Did they play together?
@@tf-ok Yes you didnt watch the doc just now ?
kzhead.info/sun/gtqIabaiqnODZ6s/bejne.html
@@JackDivision Sorry I am visually impaired. I mainly listen
@@tf-ok TF OK...
Ruud Guulit was a beast. He had everything you needed as a footballer to be up there, power, pace, skill, good header of the ball and dribbler, he also packed a good shot. I and my friends followed the Italian league and ac Milan because of him and his two other countrymen. One of the football greats for sure....❤️
my first football idol, i was 7 years old in 1987
Just a baby🤣
I grew up watching The Three Dutchmen ruling Europe with Milan. I was mesmerised by Ruud back then! He was outstanding in every sense.
Thank you so much. He seems like a forgotten giant and I do not understand why. Like CR7, Zidane, and Ronaldo he had everything, but maybe even a little bit more as he masterful at defending as well and football is about attacking and defending, scoring and stopping goals, so the best players must be judged by how they contribute in both these objectives to the end goal of winning, not just by how often you grab the headlines as a scorer. You can score 2 goals, but still make your team lose by being defensively useless resulting in 3 goals against you. Peace and love
Gullit is Black and this is 'normal' for us. With us, we're considered 'naturally gifted', 'instinctive' or natural athletes..so for as long as we're alongside other talented players, we're considered dependent upon them for our footballing achievements. So the delegitimisers will say Pele also played alongside greats in '58, '62 and '70, while Messi, CR7 and a whole host of others somehow didn't? Gullit was a phenomenon, definitely in the all time top ten and in completeness only bettered by Pele.
I think Gullit is overshadowed because of the easy style he had, everything he did on the pitch seemed effortless and it was almost expected from him. He was that good.
I saw his debut for Chelsea in the mid 90s, away at Gillingham. The best player I've ever seen at Stamford Bridge.
Take a second to realize that Milan had GULLIT RIJKAARD VAN BASTEN trio with many other greats
Is it 2 to 3 decades or was it longer? AC Milan were unreal.
Milan were the PSG of the day.
Ahahahahah no way man... That's like compare a cat (PSG) to a Lion (Milan).....
@@calgakispict3652 not really... Milan won everything playing unbelievable football and to this day the best club side I have seen. Couldn't score against their defence and had Guillit and Van Basten up front
@@calgakispict3652 Terrible comparison. AC Milan were serial winners at the highest club level and not just thrown together chokers in a weak league. Learn football history
Yes i agree he’s “gifted beyond his belief. I remember this guy and his football artistry. The euro’88 cup was sensational. What a player. Absolute legend!
great video again! being dutch myself, it's always interesting hearing the backstories of our legends!
I always loved Ruud Gullit but didn't know he was so instrumental to South Africa that he gave our late President his Ballandor. It shows that he was bigger than the sport at heart.😍
Gullit stood against Apartheid, Pele stopped a war. This is what true greatness is all about. I learned so much from Gullit as he was of my generation..
@@a.m.armstrong8354 and ?
Thanks to this video my love for football grew ever so much and now my favorite player is Ruud Gullit, cemented as my hero and icon.
Absolutely loved him as a player.
Ruud would be worth 200 million in todays market
One billion with Rijkaard & van Basten!
Must be... but probably higher yield(s) out than some expensive players nowaday ... ha ha
Especially since he can play in any position.
He was a special player. A Chelsea legend. Thanks Rudi....
Loved watching Football Italia on channel 4 during this era
When Serie A was on top! Thanks for watching 🙏
The complete player. That is no understatement. Great memories harking back to my younger years watching him on Gazzetta Football Italia on Channel 4. This documentary does Gullit justice and evokes warm nostalgia. Thank you. I have subscribed.
As a Sampdoria's supporter I've had the pleasure of seeing him playing in that team and that's where he really did his best in terms of goals scored. Really incredible ...one of the best players ever seen in Sampdoria along with Vialli and Mancini. Thumbs up.
Santa Retro is here with our present! Just got home from work, time to kick back and watch :)
Wow man, there's so much that I didn't know about The Black Tulip. The connection with Rijkaard through their fathers makes the story even more compelling.
Legend RUUD
A team of Ruud Gullits would be the best team ever if made up of 1 single player. Ruud had everything.
I want thank you for putting all of this footage together (I still have to get to his time after 1992)as well as detailing with photos the early years of Gullit.I would've been too little to remember him before 1990 (When I sort of remembered him ,including his scoring in that year's World Cup).I was not aware of his friendship with Rijkaard going back that far while still secondary school age . When I did get some information in the 1990s via newspapers about Gullit , it was only related to the days at Chelsea with a smattering of him allegedly having kids all over Europe in his young days. This was very informative to me about his professional playing days.I sure didn't have any knowledge about his Dutch Eredivisie years except him playing for Haarlem team. His AC Milan glory days and background behind him getting there were interesting for me of which to learn more .But I do have images of him playing Serie A for the team.I'd highly recommend the video
Thanks a lot for this bro Gullit is probably my favorite of all time nice vid
As a guy from the states whose love of football came a bit later in life, I've gotta say..... I'm thoroughly enjoying the various biography vids on this channel covering some of the greats who played before I followed the sport. Really top-notch & entertaining stuff.
Finally some well spoken, great video/photo content! Best footie legend chan by far, thank you for creating!!!!!
Top notch video! Gullit is one of my childhood hero, he was part of the reason I became a Milanista with Marco Van Basten and became a big Dutch fan back in the day. You've covered well his career, shows you did a lot of research. Well done! Subbed and looking forward to more fantastic content from you. :)
What a player , highly underrated in my opinion. Probably the best all round player ever
Happy New Year everyone and thank you to RetroRoute for continually providing us with entertainment! Your videos are top notch!
I didn't know about the guy ...thank you very much for the share ...this guy was a phenomenal ...the most complete player
What a player!
a great character. In the 80's we used to wear an orange hat with black rasta like hair coming out of the back, in support of our country the netherlands and of course it was a tribute to gullit and his distinctive haircut of that days.
Great video man, congratulations on the content. Loved how Snr Gullit and Snr Rijkaard came on the boat together. That's legacy.
Yep, that’s a good spot, a fateful story fit for a movie, not many picking up on that incredible detail. Caribbean/South American migration from Dutch colonies was the equivalent of the British colonial migrants from the Carribbean called the Windrush generation.
@@Pulsonar True.
Was just looking for a documentary about him a week before this came out but there was nothing lol. Thank you
Great storytelling, really awesome work. Loved watching it. :)
Love your presentation but even more impressed by a true man of culture. Radiohead and U2 to open the background music, immaculate taste haha
Great video, as always. Please continue!
Beautiful story! He is one the reasons why I love Dutch football!
Same here
@@talibsow3480without cruyff there is no Dutch football
Gullit was my childhood hero, back in the days in Lisbon.
Did he deserve the Ballon d'Or over Paulo Futre in 1987? It's still one of the most controversial wins ever.
Great video. Gullet was one of my favorite players growing up. Watching I just remembered thinking he had no weaknesses in his game. Imagine how much he cost in today's transfer market.
I once asked my uncle,who is Ruud Gullit,and he said the greatest footballer of all time.what a legend
Just discovered your channel. Great video , thanks to you I am not going out tonight because I am going to spend next several hours watching legend on this channel 👊🏾👊🏾
What a beautiful tribute, thank you!
Forget about so called statistics this man was a true genius
I have always wondered about his back story, thanks for bringing it to us.
What an amazing report and an amazing commentary. Wow wow wow. Well done 👏
Genuinely love these videos
What a player! He could have played any position for any team.
When he won the Ballon d'Or it was European footballer of the year award actually.
Still is, you can't win it if you don't play in Europe, you can be from another continent but you can't win it playing in South America for example.
@@calgakispict3652 yes technically true but id say its generally considered the elite worldwide award. Thats why uefas award is now considered the European player of the year award.
@@rosemaryfarell5264 it is the European vote
@@lexkanyima2195Word of mouth is they're going back to the previous criteria.
The narrater could not have said it any better. A monster indeed.
a great man and a great player. legend! 🔴⚫
Great video. Great effing video. Long live Gullit.
Great documentary, love it
AC Milan will always appriciate Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten
Damn I used to play him for fun in fifa 2013 legendary Xi team; he was a beast you could just shoot from about anywhere. didn't know he was such an influential figure. Great documentary 👏
Brilliant video lovely words for this iconic player
Thank you for this excellent documentary. I only knew him by name & as a host of Ballon D'or before.
Such a shame we don't bring him into the Goats debate, this man is unbelievable in so many positions.
Thank you creator for this video! Your Dutch is perfect! 🙏
thank you for this man!
Excellent video mate 👍 Loved this era of Serie A 🇮🇹 as a boy
Saw Gullit play for Chelsea in that sweeper positon and he was amazing. Best I have ever seen in the flesh
„The black tulip of a renovated Netherlands team“ Lovely turn of phrase!
I was lucky to see Him playing during 80's and 90's ...great Player
I started watching international football at that and this was when AC Milan became my favorite soccer team.
Brilliant documentary, Gullit is one of the games all time greats , definitely Van Bastens equal after Maradona faded end of the 80s both were the best players in the world