In the 1980s, Ruud Gullit helped redefine what a modern footballer could be: technically sharp, physically dominant, and tactically versatile.
As part of AC Milan’s all-conquering side of the late eighties and early nineties, he won three Serie A titles; two European Cups; winning the Ballon d’Or in 1987 and then captained the Netherlands to victory at Euro ’88. He went on to manage—including a groundbreaking spell at Chelsea—before becoming a familiar voice on television, analysing a sport he helped shape.
More recently, he’s taken his competitive streak to the golf course, including a recent visit to Dubai, where he took part in DP World Tour Championship Rolex Pro-Am in promotion of the AC Milan x Puma Golf Collection.
Here, he shares some wisdom from a trailblazing career that took him right to the very top.
When you start, you don’t think of the career you’ll have. You just love the game. You play for the fun of it. You’re not aware of what you’ve achieved until the moment you stop.
I was the only black player in the team in my earlier days. You stand out, and if you stand out, people are looking at you—so you have to be better than the rest. That was a huge motivation for me.
I had no fear, whatsoever. I was very, very confident in myself. Throughout my career, that has been my exceptional talent.
I was very proud of winning the Ballon d’Or. The funny thing is, I got presented it on the pitch before we were about to play a match. They just gave it to me. Nowadays, there’s a programme and festivities, all broadcast on television. In my day, you just got handed the trophy on the pitch and then it was back to business—no time to reflect. Just shut up and play the game.
“BEING A FOOTBALL MANAGER ISN’T FUN. THE ONLY CERTAINTY YOU’VE GOT IS THAT YOU’LL GET SACKED.”
Ruud Gullit
There are always new goals, when you’re playing. The moment you win the Champions League; there’s a new goal. You wake up the next morning and you want to win it again.
Being a football manager isn’t fun. The only certainty you’ve got is that you will get sacked. Look at all these coaches. They’re all bald, grey, grumpy, looking old—they look horrible, all of them—and that has everything to do with winning and losing. You have so much responsibility. If you win, everybody’s happy. But if they lose, it can be so invasive in your life. It can hurt.
A lot of managers think it’s all about them. It’s not. It all depends on your players. How good are your players? Not everybody has five hundred million to buy players. And if you don’t, you have to deal with what you have. And sometimes, it just doesn’t happen. Look at Liverpool this season. They were unbeatable and then all of a sudden, it’s gone.
I still have a huge attachment with AC Milan. The club asked me to participate in this golf tournament, and it was nice as I love playing golf. I’m very grateful for the relationship I still have with the club.
You can compare golf with kicking a penalty. It’s like walking from the midfield to the penalty spot. That’s the same kind of pressure you feel.
The moment there’s a game going on, I just click into ‘player mode’. It’s the same with football or golf. Sometimes, I can play really bad, but with football, I was always convinced that I could do something to change that. But, with golf, if you are in that bad spot, it’s difficult to get out of it.
I’d like to be remembered for playing with joy on my face. That’s the most important thing, I always enjoyed what I was doing.