The thread for Ruud Gullit

Gullit back in Oranje after conversation with Advocaat

ZEIST, 21 FEB. Ruud Gullit is preparing for a comeback in Oranje. The Sampdoria footballer agreed with national coach Dick Advocaat that he will be available again from 23 May. Without any preconditions, the parties announced on Saturday. Gullit was in the Netherlands this week. In a conversation with Advocaat, the national coach did not make any concrete commitments. According to Gullit, it did not take much time to talk out old pain. "Our differences of opinion were mainly in the tactical area. Apart from that, there was not much going on. We had a nice, personal conversation. We have always been close to each other. After the conversation with Advocaat, I did not need much time to choose Oranje again. It is a decision that I made with my heart. What position will I play? That was not discussed. But Advocaat knows how I feel about it. He understands how I feel. In a small little football world where everyone knows everyone there is a risk for too many hugs and sclerosis in ideas. It is also certainly not the case that I am only interested in a position in the centre." On 23 May, the selection will meet in Noordwijk. On Friday 27 May, the preparatory international against Scotland is scheduled in Utrecht. Gullit will be there then. Before that happens, Gullit wants to avoid all risks. "I am concentrating completely on Sampdoria until then. I can hardly afford to get injured with the Dutch national team. I still have to make one important decision. Hopefully I can make the decision. Do I extend my contract with this club? They helped me here at a time when many wrote me off for weekly top level football." (ANP)

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21/02/1994 - Gullit back at Milan?

MILAN - According to the Italian sports newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Ruud Gullit will sign a contract with his old club AC Milan at the end of March. The agreement between the Dutchman, who is playing for Sampdoria this season, and the reigning Italian champions would last for one year.
According to the newspaper, Gullit has had a conversation with AC Milan board member Adriano Galliani and general manager Ariedo Briada. The first meeting went so well that Gullit will sign the agreement at the end of March.
AC Milan has chosen that period because chairman Silvio Berlusconi, who previously stated that the club made a mistake in letting Gullit go, has his hands full with Italian politics until the election weekend of 27 and 28 March.
AC Milan has offered Gullit, who made himself available for the Dutch national team again last week, a contract for one season. After that year, the club wants to explicitly involve the attacker in its public relations policy.
Gullit will have to guard the 'image' of AC Milan in the future. The attacker can easily leave his current club Sampdoria, because the contract with the club from Genoa expires next summer.

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24/02/1994 - Gullit shoots Sampdoria to the final

PARMA - Ruud Gullit is well on his way to completing his collection of Italian major prizes. With AC Milan he won everything there is to win except the Italian Cup. Yesterday he personally ensured that Sampdoria will reach the cup final. The Genoese club won 1-0 at the European Cup II and Super Cup holders, after having already won 2-1 at home. The Amsterdammer decided the semi-final against Parma after half an hour of play with a tour de force. First he trumped libero Minotti with speed and then surprised goalkeeper Ballotta with a lob.

Gullit's goal was the final blow for Parma. Ajax's upcoming opponent had no answer to this goal. Parma lacked the composure to regain control of the match despite a field advantage. Goalkeeper Pagliuca prevented an equalizer from Parma with a few saves. Gullit's leading role in this top match comes at a time when all sorts of rumours are circulating about his future. At a tournament in Miami, a Barcelona official leaked that Spanish champions Barcelona had made Gullit an offer. A Roman daily newspaper broke the news the day before yesterday that AC Milan had already agreed with the attacker to return next season. "It's all nonsense. I haven't agreed with anyone. I do have an idea of what I'm going to do next season, but I won't decide until after this season. Of course, it's a compliment from my old club that they're interested in me again. For now, I'm only thinking about Sampdoria, because I'm really happy here," the star player said yesterday. Gullit negotiated a free transfer at the end of this season.

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24/02/1994 - Sampdoria to final thanks to Gullit's goal

Ruud Gullit substantiated Silvio Berlusconi's intention to bring the footballer back to AC Milan on Wednesday evening. The 31-year-old Dutchman scored the goal in and against Parma that brought his club Sampdoria to the final of the Italian Cup tournament.
Gullit, available for the Dutch national team again, scored after 21 minutes. It would remain the only goal. Ajax's European opponent, technical director Van Gaal, was present on the spot, tried everything to make up for the deficit, but missed the mark. In Genoa, the team lost 2-1. In the final, the opponents will be Torino or Ancona.
In the league, Gullit is second on the list of scorers with thirteen goals. It is therefore not surprising that Milan hopes for a reunion of Gullit with Marco van Basten now that Milan's productivity leaves much to be desired. The league leader is indeed far ahead, but rarely wins by more than 1-0. Gullit, whose contract with Sampdoria expires at the end of the season, has admitted to having an exploratory conversation with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani. 'Nothing has been decided yet, but everyone knows that when I moved to Genoa a piece of my heart stayed in Milan,' said Gullit, who wants to wait before making a quick decision. 'It's a purely private matter. The sporting aspect doesn't count for me.' Milan coach Fabio. Capello has hinted that he would like to have him back

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Gullit speaks with Milan

PARMA — The idea of bringing Ruud Gullit back to AC Milan fills Silvio Berlusconi with hope, pride and joy; the fear of losing him causes his colleague from Sampdoria and the supporters sleepless nights. The 31-year-old Dutchman proved his newfound added value again last night. He personally shot Sampdoria to the final of the Italian cup tournament. The opponent in that tournament is Torino or Ancona. Gullit scored in the second match against Parma after 21 minutes. It would remain the only goal. Ajax's European opponent tried everything to make up the deficit — the match in Genoa was lost 1-2 — but saw everything fail. 'II Tulipo Nero' was once again the hero. In the league, Gullit is second on the list of scorers with thirteen goals and therefore on many a wish list. No wonder that Milan hopes for a reunion of Gullit with Marco van Basten now that Milan's productivity leaves much to be desired. The league leader is well ahead, but rarely wins by more than 1-0. According to the Italian media, the signing of Uruguayan Daniel Fonseca from Napoli, who desperately need the money, is also being considered. Gullit, whose contract with Sampdoria expires at the end of the season, has admitted to having an exploratory conversation with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani. "Nothing has been decided yet, but everyone knows that my heart stayed in Milan when I transferred to Genoa," said Gullit, who is of course very pleased with the renewed interest. Coach Fabio Capello has hinted that he would like to have him back, Berlusconi has already said that it was a big mistake to sell Gullit to Sampdoria. ANP/SID


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28/02/1994 - Gullit, think again

Just before he sent an open letter to Gullit not to return to AC Milan, Gianfranco Mascia received an unsolicited visit from two men. They tore his clothes off and raped him. When he came to, he was tied up in a chair. Mascia is an activist of the Italian Greens. When Berlusconi declared his support for the candidacy of neo-fascist Fini for mayor of Rome, Mascia took the initiative to boycott Berlusconi's company Fininvest. One of his last actions was to write an open letter to 'dear Ruud. The letter included a P.S.: 'I ask your apologies if we can give the impression that we are trying to exploit your public image.' Mascia asked Gullit to think not once, but a thousand times before returning to the club of his old boss Berlusconi. In a left-wing weekly in which he unveiled his initiative, Mascia wrote: 'We must not forget that the Sampdoria player is also a genuine anti-racism champion. How can he then return to a company that identifies with a party - Berlusconi's Hup Italia - that is an ally of the Northern League and the MSI?' Shortly before the revenge attack, Mascia had been warned with a vicious tirade, which was recorded on his answering machine. The anonymous caller also said who he was speaking on behalf of: the group 'Silvio for ever'. Silvio Berlusconi has condemned the act of violence. A leader of the Greens said: 'Aggression is not in the style of Berlusconi, but certainly in that of the right-wing culture with which he has associated himself.'

 

If you want I can stop with this thread?

Captaincy in football is largely a symbolic role. In itself it has no value. Sometimes it happens someone without an armband is the real captain, or there are multiple captains...

 

You said yourself, more than once, how you think the officials robbed 'Holland' in 1994 (I am less convinced). I can tell you Saudi Arabia also did the 1998 semi-final against Brazil. Euro 2000 semi-final: Germany in charge is almost always disaster. Only after the fifth Italian foul it was a penalty, suddenly.

As for Van Dijk: Pickford, Lahoz, Zwayer. Three deadly words for him.

Gullit: Igna of Romania in the semi-finals who later admitted he could hardly walk (IFFHS had later in 1990 a special edition of their magazine about him; the German football elite was sour!).

Then in the final the French in charge, and yes, those are historically not bad for us (compared to Germans, British officials). We saw it again at euro 2024... that's the luck Gullit had. Yet it is also true the team was placed in a noisy hotel in Hamburg, couldn't sleep, and couldn't train because the field had potholes and was not ready to play on. Gullit brought it to a good end, true...

Meanwhile, Gullit was also captain and leader when Holland flopped and disintegrated in 1990 as #1 favorite - just as that has to be put in perspective, so should 1988 imho.

 

Thanks. That is a tunnel/nutmeg yes.

I think this video leaves out some good scenes to be fair.

See 9:30 here below for example


You say that I don't like Gullit... well, I also think (and said before) that booing Gullit in your own country is disgraceful. Absolutely disrespectful against someone who generally had good intentions and is one of the best ever players (whether he is #2... I don't think so but top 10 surely; I'd have him 3-9). The Ajax public didn't do this when Bergkamp or Seedorf (in 2010) returned.

It only solidified Gullit his sympathy and allegiance to Feyenoord.

 

28/02/1994 - Italian football

In Italy, Inter continues to falter. The team of Bergkamp and Jonk rarely wins. Yesterday, Inter failed to do so either. In Turin, Torino was far too strong. Poggi and Cois scored the goals for the home team. Bergkamp did not play. He is injured after a kick on his ankle. Tomorrow against Dortmund, the Dutchman will probably also remain on the sidelines. His buddy Wim Jonk was substituted fifteen minutes before the end yesterday. Inter have only won two points from their last five matches. Leaders Milan continue to rumble on. The champions beat Foggia 2-1, thanks to goals from Boban and Massaro. Kolivanov scored for Foggia. The Russian's goal ended a period of 929 minutes without conceding a goal for goalkeeper Rossi. The old record was held by the legendary Dino Zoff, 903 minutes. Bryan Roy played 70 minutes and made a solid impression. Ruud Gullit watched from the stands as Sampdoria beat AS Roma. The star had injured his right knee on Friday. Captain Mancini scored the only goal. The Romans have not won a match this year. Ganz gave Atalanta a surprising lead against Juventus. Conté equalised, Roberto Baggio did the rest with two goals. Juve and Samp share second place, six points behind Milan. Parma did not come to victory easily. Against Cremonese Zola scored the decisive goal from a penalty kick only four minutes before the end. Melli had put the holder of the European Cup 2 ahead in the 52nd minute, Maspero equalised shortly afterwards.



Italy

MILAN, 7 March --- AC Milan will almost certainly be the champions of Italy again. Juventus' last hope for a sensational conclusion to the competition was lost on Sunday. In Turin, the title holder proved too strong, 1-0. Sampdoria follows six points behind. The team from Genoa won mainly due to the contribution of Gullit. The Dutch international not only scored the only goal against Torino, he was also clearly the best man on the field. Gullit, who is negotiating with AC Milan about a transfer to his old club, has already scored fourteen times in the competition this season.

The last club to win three consecutive Italian championships was Torino in the 1940s. AC Milan are on the verge of matching this historic feat. After the victory at Juventus, almost nothing can go wrong for Capello's team.
Next week Sampdoria will visit AC Milan. For Sampdoria this will be the last chance to maintain the tension in the competition. It will not be due to Gullit. He led his club past Torino with strong play. With better finishing and a less strong Turin goalkeeper Galli, the victory for Sampdoria would have been considerably bigger.

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07/03/1994 (Trouw) - Who else but Gullit

From our sports editor AMSTERDAM - AC Milan is almost certainly the new champion of Italy, in addition to the old one. Juventus' last hope for a sensational ending was buried under the grass yesterday. In Turin, the title holder proved to be too strong, 0-1. After the victory at Juventus, almost nothing can go wrong for the team of coach Capello, with a six points advantage. Juventus still had something to say before half-time. After the restart, AC Milan became stronger. The decision fell in the 60th minute. Eranio scored his first league goal this season, after a pass from Boban. Next week, Sampdoria will visit AC Milan. For 'Samp', this will be the last chance to maintain the tension in the competition. It will not be despite the presence of Gullit.

He led his club past Torino with strong play, something that has become tedious and boring. With better finishing and a less strong Turin goalkeeper Galli, the victory for Sampdoria would have been considerably bigger. Sampdoria follows six points behind. The Genoa team won mainly due to Gullit's contribution. The Dutch international not only scored the only goal against Torino, he was also the best man on the field. Gullit, in negotiations with AC Milan about the 'return of the year', has already scored fourteen times in the competition this season.
After the efforts against Ajax, in the quarter finals of the European Cup 11, Parma got more rest than expected. The match against Reggiana was stopped halfway through. Referee Pairetto tore a leg muscle. He was unable to continue the duel and a substitute was not present. It was still 0-0.

After the great result on Wednesday at Borussia Dortmund (3-1), Inter actually achieved another victory in the competition. With Jonk, but without Bergkamp, it became 1-0 against Udinese. It was Inter's first victory in Serie A in six matches and the first under the new coach Marini.
After having been in the starting line-up a few times, Vink was relegated to the stands at Genoa. Van 't Schip, Petrescu and Skuhravy were the foreigners at the relegation candidate against Piacenza. The score was 1-1.


07/03/1994 (Volkskrant) - Without brilliance Milan has Torino's ancient record in sight

The last club to win the Italian football championship three times in a row was Torino in the 1940s. AC Milan will probably equal this achievement. After the 1-0 victory at Juventus, the race seems to have been run. The team of coach Capello is six points ahead of Sampdoria, who will visit San Siro on Sunday.

This will be the last chance for Sampdoria to bring back some excitement in the competition. Ruud Gullit is keen. He is bursting with self-confidence after another good match and a beautiful goal against Torino. It was the Dutchman's fourteenth goal this season, which puts him in third place on the top scorers list, behind Roberto Baggio (16) and Fonseca (15), although Gullit insists his value and mentality has never been about just scoring goals.

Gullit, who was sidelined last week due to a minor injury, roamed the field like a young dog. In the thirteenth minute, he passed the outstanding goalkeeper Galli with a volley after a pass from Mancini. The decisive attack was preceded by a mistake by Torino defender Fusi. Inter, without Bergkamp but with Jonk, needed only a clever move by Uruguayan Sosa on home soil to win 1-0 over Udinese. Seven minutes after the break he passed two defenders and then struck with a hard shot. It meant Inter's first league victory under new coach Marini.

Juventus received AC Milan without the German Möller and Ravanelli. Both were suspended. Roberto Baggio had to make them forget, but even compared to the other stars in the league he achieved very little against the Milanese block that had only allowed nine goals in 26 matches. Eranio decided the battle for prestige fifteen minutes after the break with a lucky toe against the ball, after a free kick by Boban. Baggio stated afterwards that he was suffering from a knee injury. 'Normally I wouldn't have played, but against Milan I wanted to try anyway.' Fonseca helped Napoli to a 1-0 triumph at Lecce, but also missed a penalty. Genoa, who shared the points against Piacenza (1-1), started the match with foreigners Skuhravy, Petrescu and Van 't Schip. The Dutchman hit the crossbar once and prepared Skuhravy's goal. Vink, who had been in the starting line-up in recent weeks, had to take his place in the stands again this time.
Parma, opponents of Ajax in the cup winners' tournament, only played one half against Reggiana. Referee Pairetto then stopped because he had been injured. It turned out that there was no replacement in the stadium. In Italy, it is not permitted by the regulations for a linesman to take over the whistle. The match will be replayed in its entirety on 6 April.

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Next game is the 'return fixture' of Gullit against his old club, AC Milan.

Here the first fixture (the 3-2 for Sampdoria):
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/the-thread-for-ruud-gullit.2130952/page-10#post-42442777

 

I'd advise people to click on the links, because it has some interesting photos. With Costacurta almost undressing Gullit and the like.



Gullit outshone by his successor at Milan

By one of our editors Rotterdam, March 14. The reunion of Ruud Gullit with the Giuseppe Meazza stadium should have been a celebration. It should have been the confirmation for those who believe that Gullit should return to AC Milan. Gullit could make Milan a swinging team again, he could add a dimension to the mathematical game of the Rossoneri. Milan chairman Berlusconi would like to embrace him again, as the savior, as the footballer that the people of San Siro want. They love him, both the tifosi of Milan and those of Sampdoria. Somewhere between the first and second tier of the Milan stadium yesterday afternoon a banner hung: Gullit ti amiamo. Sempre. (Gullit we love you. Always). Who 'we' are, was not written. Probably of Samp supporters. But Gullit belongs to everyone. Everywhere in Italy they want Gullit. But when the Dutch national team is discussed, people wonder what position he should play in.
Milan is now eight points ahead of Sampdoria, after winning 1-0 against the club from Genoa on Sunday. Masaro scored with a beautiful header. Gullit did not win against Dejan Savicevic, the Montenegrin who has been wearing number 10 since the Dutchman left Milan. Gullit was hardly in the picture, Savicevic constantly. Gullit was already too fast for the Milan defence in the first minute, passed the ball where Mancini was free. But the technically gifted Sampdoria striker wanted to control the ball first before he shot and was therefore too late. Gullit freed himself from the Milan defenders once in the second half, shot on goal, but goalkeeper Rossi stopped the ball. Savicevic is an imaginative footballer, with an inimitable ball control. He is the striker in the 'new' Milan alongside the hard runner Massaro. At Red Star, the Montenegrin formed a near-magical square as a right winger with the Macedonian top scorer Pancev, the Serbian Prosinecki and the Croatian Mihajlovic. At Milan, he is controversial because he does not score. Because he does not score as often as at Red Star. Since Van Basten and Lentini have dropped out, Milan has not scored enough. Only thirty goals in 27 matches. That is blamed on Papin, Massaro (with eight top scorers) and Savicevic. The latter is usually at the base of the attacks. His preparatory passes are brilliant, but his final passes and shots are unfortunate. Yesterday, he was asked on Italian television what he thought of the possible arrival of Gullit. He laughed, he had been the star player: "Gullit is an enrichment for every team. He is not a threat to me. I am a different footballer. I showed that today."
Whether Gullit will return to Milan, resists the temptation and pressure, is still the question. Gullit himself has huge doubts, he said. Sampdoria and its management have given him back his self-confidence. Thanks to trainer Ericson, striker Mancini (formerly the silent force behind Vialli) and Lombardo, he has started playing better football. He does not want to disappoint those people. And as for Berlusconi. The fact that he wants Gullit back is mainly for political reasons. He has promised Gullit a job. But above all he needs votes, the voice of the people for his right-wing party Forza Italia. He does not need more.

https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBNRC01:000030751:mpeg21:a0137

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Other papers:

14/03/1994 (Volkskrant) - San Siro trembles as Gullit enters the penalty area

The way Ruud Gullit was welcomed by eighty thousand friends and acquaintances in San Siro yesterday was heartwarming. Milan's game against Sampdoria was cold, cynical and calculating. In the duel with the number two of the Serie A it became clear once again why AC Milan is looking for New Heroes. The team still wins, often even and this time again with 1-0, but it no longer sparkles.
That is why chairman/owner Berlusconi has been flirting with Gullit, who left Milan rather dishonorably last year, for a few weeks now. Berlusconi previously stated that Milan was unwise to sell Gullit. The figures, eight points ahead of Sampdoria and nine ahead of Parma and Juventus, may suggest otherwise. Moreover, Milan, also champion in 1992 and '93, has only lost one point in the Champions League.
The possible New Hero is already old, 31. Gullit's contract with Sampdoria is about to expire. end of the season. It has also fueled speculation in the Italian media that he has declared that AC Milan is his true love, and always will be.
Besieged by dozens of reporters and a large handful of camera crews, he was careful to keep his words to himself yesterday: 'I really haven't made up my mind yet. As so often, I just don't know what I want. I don't even know yet in which country I would most like to play next season. I have made one important decision and the Dutch national team was central to that. I will postpone the second decision for a while.'
Several newspapers in Italy previously reported that Gullit has already had a conversation with AC Milan vice-chairman Galliani. Last season he was a fan of Bayern Munich for a long time, until his girlfriend publicly vetoed a move to Bavaria and Germany. There is a possibility that Berlusconi is talking with a forked tongue. The flirtation with Gullit may have been prompted by political motives. Berlusconi wants to storm parliament with his right-wing populist party Forza Italia in the upcoming elections and will leave no stone unturned in his propaganda stunt to achieve this goal. There are more fitting signs for Gullit: Berlusconi rubs shoulders with the neo-fascist MSI.
Sampdoria supporters cast a different vote in Genoa on Saturday. Three thousand supporters gathered around Sampdoria's training complex and tried to persuade Gullit not to leave the club with words and gestures. Samp is overjoyed with Gullit, who dragged the team to the final of the Italian Cup after a failed 1992-93 season. Despite the defeat against AC Milan, Sampdoria is also heading for a place in Serie A that entitles them to participate in the UEFA Cup.

Gullit has already scored fourteen times this season, more than he ever did at AC Milan, and has enabled ten teammates to score directly. Those are numbers to be proud of. The Italian press pointed out before yesterday's match that AC Milan's current number ten, the Montenegrin Savicevic, has not scored one goal and only one cross in return.
Gullit found the warm welcome from the Milan supporters 'beautiful and emotional'. 'That proves how much of the past has stuck with the people.' It is those kinds of experiences that still make playing in Italy a party for him after seven years. 'In the Netherlands, something like that is unthinkable. I still remember well how I was booed in Rotterdam at the time after I had moved from Feyenoord to PSV.'
The almost palpable fear in the colossal San Siro was also beautiful when Gullit entered the AC Milan penalty area with the ball at his feet. Surrounded by four old acquaintances, Tassotti, Baresi, Costacurta and Maldini, Gullit's number of runs was sparse. He fought in the centre of the attack, with only Mancini at his side now and then, a hopeless battle.
Gullit got his first and last chance in the 68th minute when he shot hard and low. Goalkeeper Rossi saved with his right hand. On the pitch that was cursed heavily at the San Siro wings, a garden of turnips that the groundsman of a Dutch department club would be ashamed of, he failed to put a teammate in a promising position twice. After only thirty seconds, his pass to the unmarked Mancini lacked accuracy and speed. In the final minute of the first half, he played an imprecise pass to Lombardo.
Forced to do so by the robust and experienced defence of his old team, Gullit was seen less often in the centre of the attack after the break. He was unlucky that his support, the industrious and gifted Brit Platt, had to be replaced after 25 minutes with a muscle injury. In addition, on the right, Lombardo had to settle for a supporting role without any embellishment.
'I could only lurk for a chance today', Gullit said resignedly afterwards. 'And that is not exactly my favourite style of play.' He will always remain loyal and self-sacrificing: 'I did it in the interest of the team.' His fairy tale had already been written earlier this season, in Genoa. In the first meeting with AC Milan, he scored the winning goal in the final phase, 3-2, after a highly exciting battle.
More striking than Sampdoria's poor defence was AC Milan's approach, cold and sober but very effective and hardly contestable. The team that flattened the world with the three Dutchmen with a subtle and offensive style of play, has under coach Capello become a team of mathematicians who avoid risks.
It is not without reason that there is no place for Papin and Laudrup in the team. In recent weeks, Capello has opted for the foreigners Savicevic, Boban and Desailly. The first is a left-footed ball artist who belongs in midfield, but is in attack, the second a diligent Croat and the third a French man of steel.
The time is over when AC Milan hunts for a second goal after a goal. Yesterday, the team was satisfied with Massaro's goal, a header in the 25th minute on an assist from Eranio. It was only the 31st league goal, a record low for a league leader after 27 matches. The number says as much about the turnaround at Milan as the number of goals conceded, only nine, also a record.
Gullit did not recognize Milan either, but he was careful not to offend his former employer. Nevertheless, he spoke clearly: 'A lot has changed here. Milan gets fewer chances and gives away fewer. It is all very effective. They have adapted the tactics to the players. Milan defends with eight men and attacks with four. The two central midfielders no longer go forward. That was all very different in the time of the Dutch.'
Gullit's future was the talk of the town in Milan yesterday. He himself only looked ahead to May 10, the day on which he gets married. A long honeymoon is not in the cards: thirteen days later he will join the Dutch national team selection again, for the first time since his dispute with national coach Advocaat.

AC Milan - Sampdoria 1-0. 26. Massaro. Referee: Stafoggia. Attendance: 75,000. Yellow card: Costacurta (AC Milan), Sachetti, Viercowod (Sampdoria). Red card: Sachetti.
Lineups: AC Milan: Rossi, Tassotti.Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini, Desailly, Albertini, (70. Donadoni), Eranio, Boban, Savicevic, Massaro (78. Simone).
Sampdoria: Paglucia, Mannini, Vierchowod, Sachetti, Serena, Gullit, Invernizzi (68. Bellucci), Lombardo, Evani, Mancini, Platt (26. Salsano).

https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010866674:mpeg21:a0136

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14/03/1994 (Parool) - Fans beg Gullit to stay

(From our sports editor) MILAN - Ruud Gullit was given a heartwarming welcome yesterday by eighty thousand AC Milan supporters. The Amsterdam native, who has made a splash with AC Milan in recent years and is making a remarkable comeback this season at Sampdoria, lost 1-0 to a goal from Massaro of his old club. Gullit spoke after the match about 'an equally magnificent and emotional welcome' by the Milan supporters. "The turnout was particularly impressive. Everyone chanted my name, sang and applauded." Gullit had already returned to the San Siro stadium earlier this season, but on that occasion the stands were coloured blue and black. The colours of Inter, which is a bit different. Yesterday the stadium was red and black and Gullit became a bit sentimental in that environment. "It's fantastic to return like this. Imagine how much has stuck with those people. Absolute proof that they have not forgotten me in Milan. Something like that is unthinkable in the cold-hearted Netherlands." The Amsterdammer remained silent about Silvio Berlusconi's flirtation, who has indicated that he would like to bring Gullit back to Milan. "Of course I have heard those messages too, but I have not spoken to anyone yet. I have not made up my mind yet. We are on schedule with Sampdoria. Before the season, the intention was to secure European football and that seems to be working. And we have also reached the cup final." One day before the match against AC Milan, around five thousand Sampdoria supporters begged Gullit to stay with the club. This happened during training. The fans carried banners with texts such as: 'Ruud, resta con noi' (Ruud, stay with us). They are trying to persuade the Dutchman, who will be available for the Dutch national team again from 23 May, to extend his contract in Genoa.

https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010841993:mpeg21:a0181

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14/03/1994 (Algemeen Dagblad) - Moved by the Tifosi

MILAN — For a moment, almost secretly, Ruud Gullit waves to the Milanisti in the stands behind one of the goals in San Siro.
With the hand gesture, the Sampdoria footballer thanks the AC Milan supporters. At that moment, the 32-year-old Dutchman's emotions simply win out over his disappointment about the 1-0 defeat. "This is my victory," Gullit will later say about the chants with which the Milanese tifosi chant his name. And that of Evani, with whom he swapped Milan for Sampdoria last year. The Cyclone, one of his nicknames in Italy, is moved by his reception in San Siro. "The people in Milan have not forgotten me. When I entered the field before the match and heard the fans shout my name, I was quite emotional," said Gullit, who wore the Milan shirt from 1987 to 1993. In the Netherlands, he experienced it differently. "After I went from Feyenoord to PSV, all the reactions were less positive, I must say."

He does not know how the Sampdoria fans will react next season when he visits Genoa with Milan. He does know that 3,000 supporters protested on Saturday at Bogliasco, the training facility of the cup finalist. They let Gullit know in words and gestures that he has to extend his one-year contract with Samp. Gullit thinks that he is returning to San Siro is a bit premature. "Everyone is trying to tell me that I am going to transfer to Milan. I know that that is the wish of the president of the club, Silvio Berlusconi. But for me that is not at all an issue. Because I do not yet know what I want. I myself think that I have actually already made the most important choice by choosing the Dutch national team again." For Gullit, weighing up a return to Milan is tantamount to settling accounts with the periods in which the club, in his opinion, hurt his pride a little too mercilessly. The King of Lombardy is a man of forgiveness, not of forgetting. So Gullit knows very well that Berlusconi wanted to get rid of him no less than three times in six seasons. Twice because of the problems with his injured right knee dating back to August 1988. Four operations and a year of inactive status seemed to work in the club boss's favour. Seemed to, because Gullit fought his way back in his own way: for a year he drove back and forth to Monza every day for his private training and care. At the end of last season - the third attempt - il Tulipo Nero (the Black Tulip), who was taken over from PSV in 1987, hardly got to play due to an excess of foreigners (six). He experienced his referral to the stands by trainer Fabio Capello as a humiliation. When Gullit was passed over for the final of the European Cup 1 (defeat against Olympique Marseille), he felt, no, knew that he had written himself off at Milan.

In the shirt of Sampdoria, Gullit took revenge in a sporting manner. His revival, which can be seen in his strong style of football, eventually even forced Berlusconi to do something that the president actually prefers not to do: express regret. He had written off his former number 10 too early. "Gullit is having his best season since he started playing football in Italy." There are a number of reasons why The Beast could well return to Milan. His doubts have not so much to do with new employers, but everything to do with his family. On 10 May, he will marry Christina Pensa, a Milanese. In the city, the family has kept the former home, which officially seems to be part-owned by Milan. In addition, Berlusconi has again promised him that he can work as a presenter for Finivest, the television company of the club president. In the campaign to bring Gullit back, mayor Formentini, who is also Berlusconi's political ally in Lega Nord, has already hinted that he would like to marry the Dutchman and his Italian bride. The groom-to-be is considering the offer. Last year, a firefighter, a police officer and a homeless person were killed in a bomb attack in Milan. Formentini presented the relatives of the firefighter and the police officer with a medal. However, he refused to receive the family of the homeless person. After all, he was a Moroccan. Gullit: "By marrying me, the mayor can prove he's not a racist."

That AC Milan could use a type of player like Gullit became clear during the top match against Sampdoria. Since the trio of Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Gullit disappeared, Milan is no longer Milan, Gullit believes. Scoring goals - 31 in 27 league matches - is difficult for Capello's team. In defensive terms, however, nothing has changed; only nine goals conceded. Against the number two in Serie A, Milan traditionally keeps eight players in the defensive line. Because coach Eriksson has also instructed Sampdoria to adopt a conservative concept, a tactical jousting game ensues, in which chances are few and far between. The first opportunity, for Mancini after a pass from Gullit, yields nothing. The second, from Massaro, brings Milan the winning goal. There is no honour to be gained for Gullit. He wanders around Milan's half on his own. Before half-time, he lacks the support of his midfielders. After the restart, that part is somewhat better taken care of. Nevertheless, the Dutchman, lurking for a chance, does not appear in the piece. "I was always isolated between four defenders. The trainer also did not allow me to move from my position. I was the only point of contact, he kept telling me." *

https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003122012:mpeg21:a00257

 

So, by this stage in the year Gullit (and KNVB/Advocaat) had decided he'd return to Oranje - the problems were tactical in nature, said Gullit (no words about that he had declined himself, because it was in his words time for new talent).

Italian clothing sponsor Lotto had made some phonecalls to Zeist and Gullit (sponsor of both), and the USA organizers (Rothenberg) had interfered as well. Columnists wondered whether the drama is now finally over and also highlighted some remarks by Gullit himself, such as "there is more in life than a World Cup" and "it doesn't change a lot for my quality as a footballer, I have already proven myself at enough levels".

Easy comparisons with the 1980s television series 'Dallas' surfaced, since it was likely Oranje would play in the city Dallas (which they, as group winner, indeed did in the quarter-finals vs Brazil). Another comparison, a domestic comparison, was with the native television drama 'Medisch Centrum West' (1988-1994).


(the music by 'Robert Strating' is the best element I'd say; I started to watch series a bit later, with also another personal favorite)


Again: the focus below remains the Rotterdam newspaper, unless stated otherwise.

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Angry Inter fans storm players' bus after fourth straight defeat

ROTTERDAM, MARCH 28. The bus with the Inter Milan players was stormed by angry fans on Saturday afternoon. Only the tough action of the police prevented any accidents. Inter lost 3-1 at home to Genoa. That was the next low point for the team of Bergkamp and Jonk, who have now dropped to eighth place in the rankings and no longer have a chance of qualifying for UEFA Cup football.

The Inter team was already being booed during the match. The supporters called for the departure of chairman Pellegrini. Fans also tried to get through to the board on the honorary terrace. The security forces managed to prevent this. There were a few injuries. In protest, the entire section with the most fanatical supporters, around 3000, decided to leave fifteen minutes before the end of the match. Bergkamp and Jonk both played for Inter. The team occasionally stumbled considerably, particularly defensively. The defeat against Genoa was the fourth in a row. John van 't Schip was one of the visitors' standouts.

AC Milan lost 1-0 at Napoli. It was the second defeat in this competition for the leader who nevertheless can hardly avoid the title. The lead over the numbers two Juventus and Sampdoria is seven points. There are still five games to play. Ruud Gullit won with Sampdoria with no less than 6-0 against Foggia. Bryan Roy's club willingly let itself be led to the slaughter. Gullit scored once and missed a number of good opportunities.
Gullit has already made a decision about his future. AC Milan want him back and Sampdoria want to keep him. He said after the match against Foggia that he wanted to explain himself to the board of Sampdoria before making his decision public. Given that statement, he seems to be choosing Milan.

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Gullit, sports and politics

GENOA, MARCH 28. This week Ruud Gullit will make a decision about the continuation of his highly remarkable career.

Although he is turning 32, many top clubs will still want to sign a contract with him. If he follows his father's advice, he will stay with Sampdoria. That club stuck its neck out for the footballer who seemed to have reached the autumn of his career, both physically and mentally. He could also end up at FC Barcelona. Cruijff had a major influence on his career during his Feyenoord period. But whether his future wife would be interested in a move to Catalonia is highly questionable. The temptation is great to return to AC Milan, which would like to embrace the prodigal son again. For about five months now, that obvious return (Gullit: "I have always remained a Milanista") has been seen in a different light. The political ambitions of club president Berlusconi have almost completely unmasked the Italian. He once 'bought' Milan to increase his power and prestige. He seemed like the nice sugar daddy who brought the club back to the European top thanks to major investments and a businesslike approach. He is still a moral support for the players.
Before an important match, he lands in his helicopter at the Milanello training camp. Last season, when Milan almost lost a nine-point lead in the league, he invited the team to his home for an impressive dinner. Berlusconi escaped the 'clean hands' operation against corruption and the mafia. His Fininvest network is so sophisticated that he cannot be held personally responsible for what its subsidiaries do. Yet he is suspected of having ties to the mafia. His three TV channels refute all dubious practices for the people. In the meantime, his political party Forza Italia ensures an electoral sensation by selling cheap objectives. All this must be repugnant to the socially committed Gullit. A few months ago, Berlusconi bowed down to Gullit by admitting his mistake: he should not have let the Dutchman leave, he repeated more than once. And last season he was smooth enough not to criticise him, because Il Tulipano Nero remained immensely popular in Milan. Gullit's departure contributed to a decline of 30.000 sold season tickets by Milan. Berlusconi would like to take Gullit into his company after his career. But is he now being lured back by a right-wing politician? Since Gullit was embraced by Nelson Mandela, he can no longer claim that sports and politics have nothing to do with each other.

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Juventus and Sampdoria beat Cagliari (1-0) and Foggia (6-0) respectively. Gullit scored again for Sampdoria, his fifteenth goal of the competition. The 6-0 against Roy's Foggia was the highest score of the day in Serie A. Platt (2), Mancini (2) and Jugovic also scored in the one-sided match. "We were simply too good for Foggia," Gullit said. "Foggia and manager Zeman like to play football, if you don't have your day this can happen."

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