Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit sat down with NYSportsDay for a wide-ranging conversation covering the state of club football in Europe, he weighed in on the big managerial appointments reshaping the Premier League and Serie A.
Claiming, ‘nothing surprises me anymore in football,’ Gullit added: ‘I’ve seen many managers who haven’t performed particularly well still get high-profile jobs.’
He also addressed a personal matter: a fake news story circulated in his name, which he successfully had removed after contacting the party responsible.
- Summerville tipped for top — but must choose club carefully: Gullit, who has followed Crysencio Summerville since youth, said the winger must choose his next club based on footballing fit, not reputation. He warned that if Arsenal continue to rely heavily on set pieces and corner routines, Summerville simply won’t score enough goals to justify the move.
- Chelsea’s recruitment model criticised: Gullit raised serious doubts about Chelsea’s squad-building philosophy, warning that no manager — including Ancelotti — can simply be handed a large group of young players and told to make it work. He stressed that experienced leaders in the dressing room are essential for the development of any young squad.
- Ruben Amorim faces real risk at AC Milan: Gullit cautioned that importing a rigid tactical system into a squad unfamiliar with it is a high-risk strategy, citing Feyenoord’s struggles after Slot’s departure as a cautionary tale. He argued that a coach must adapt to the club’s identity — not the other way around — and questioned whether Milan’s owners have the patience to let it develop.
- Fake news story — and a wider warning about AI misuse: Gullit revealed that a fabricated story using his name and likeness was published by a source in Africa, which he successfully had removed after sending a formal letter. He linked it to a broader pattern of footballers — including Van Dijk — having their identities exploited by betting sites without consent, calling it deeply damaging and urging greater accountability.
NYSD: Arsenal won the Premier League for the first time since 2004. Did they deserve it?
Ruud Gullit: They deserved it. The first half of the season they were absolutely fantastic. Their set-piece strategy did become less effective as the season went on once teams worked it out, but overall they earned that title. Building a dynasty on top of it, though, will be very hard — the Premier League is simply too competitive. I want to see what changes they make in the summer. Are new players coming? That will tell us a lot about their ambitions.
NYSD: Manchester United have looked totally reinvigorated under Michael Carrick — do you think he’ll be confirmed as permanent manager?
Ruud Gullit: He’s doing a great job. If there’s no standout candidate elsewhere, why wouldn’t you give it to him? I’ve mainly seen news about the new stadium — nothing about managerial appointments.
NYSD: And Liverpool now that Salah and Arne Slot have both left? How will Iraola change the club’s direction?
Ruud Gullit: It’s tough. Where is Salah going? But regardless, losing a player of that calibre is a blow. And the tragedy of losing Jota — that’s a genuinely hard thing for the club to cope with. Players like Wirtz will need to step up and take on more responsibility.
NYSD: Let’s talk about Crysencio Summerville for the Netherlands. He’s been excellent.
Ruud Gullit: I’ve known him since he was young — my son played in the same youth teams. I followed his development closely and it’s just a fantastic fairytale story to see him here at the World Cup. Now with West Ham relegated, I expect there will be serious interest from the top clubs.
NYSD: Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United are all said to be keen. Do you think he’d be an upgrade on Trossard or Martinelli at Arsenal?
Ruud Gullit: The most important thing is that he chooses a team that suits his style of play — that’s for him to figure out, not me. He needs to be at a club that plays attacking football. If Arsenal are going to win titles through corner kicks and set pieces, Summerville won’t be scoring many goals. Although I should say — tracking back and working defensively is part of modern football. If you get back into position quickly after losing the ball, you don’t have to do much running. If you’re always late, then you’re constantly chasing.
NYSD: Back to Chelsea — what do you make of Xabi Alonso’s situation there?
Ruud Gullit: It’s a strange position for him. The philosophy at Chelsea seems to be: we buy a bunch of players, now you deal with it and build a team. That’s not easy, because every manager has personal preferences about the players they want to bring in. I don’t know whether Alonso will be given that freedom — the previous managers certainly weren’t. I’m very curious to see whether he has genuine recruitment input, or whether he has to work with the squad that’s already there. There are plenty of players at this World Cup who could fill gaps for Chelsea.
NYSD: Let’s talk domestic football in Italy. Ruben Amorim has now taken over at AC Milan. Did that surprise you?
Ruud Gullit: Nothing surprises me anymore in football. I’ve seen many managers who haven’t performed particularly well still get high-profile jobs. What I care about is Milan doing well — we’ve been far from the level we should be at.
NYSD: The big question is whether Amorim will be given the same patience at Milan as he was at Manchester United. Do you think he will be?
Ruud Gullit: It’s extremely difficult to maintain a consistently high level. You need patience, and what you’re also seeing now is a lot of American ownership bringing a different philosophy into the game — and it doesn’t always work. Look at Chelsea. The strategy of buying a large number of young players didn’t work out. Now they have Ancelotti — I’m actually very curious to see what he does with all those young players, because he needs experienced pros around them. Experienced players are vital in training because they’ll tell the younger ones what they’re doing wrong. If everyone is young, there’s nobody to provide that guidance — you need a John Terry or a Frank Lampard type in the dressing room.
NYSD: That’s a great point. What about the broader philosophy — does the coach have to adapt to the club, or vice versa?
Ruud Gullit: The club makes the philosophy — not the coach. The coach needs to adapt to what the club wants and what kind of football they want to play. Look at what happened at Feyenoord. Slot built a fantastic system, they won trophies and played great football. Then a new coach came in wanting to play with three at the back, and it didn’t work. After five or six games and lots of dropped points, he had to change it again. You have to respect the identity of the club.
NYSD: What about Christian Pulisic — will he fit into Amorim’s 3-4-3 system?
Ruud Gullit: Pulisic has done really well for Milan. He’s bailed them out on many occasions with individual brilliance, so he’s a quality player. I hope Amorim uses him. But I’m always cautious with these things. You need to look at the players you have first and then build your tactics around them. If you impose a system that the squad has never played, you risk undermining their confidence. That’s very dangerous.
NYSD: What about Rafael Leão — does he have the consistency to be a key figure under Amorim?
Ruud Gullit: That is the only question with Leão. He has everything — the talent is undeniable. But does he have the determination to be at his best consistently? Every time you think he’s turned the corner, he doesn’t follow through. It’s entirely up to him. Nobody else is to blame. He has the quality — it’s a question of whether he truly wants to maximise it. I’ve seen reports linking him to England, but wherever he goes, he needs to step up. It won’t be easy, and he can’t keep pointing fingers elsewhere.
NYSD: What did you make of the fake news story about you that circulated recently?
Ruud Gullit: Someone in Africa fabricated a story using my name. I sent them a formal letter and they took it down, which is something. But it’s a deeply unpleasant thing to do — using someone’s name and reputation to generate attention. I posted about it on my Instagram and made sure people knew it was completely false. FIFA were aware it was fake as well. I’ve also read that several other players, including Van Dijk, have had their names used by betting sites without their consent. It’s a real problem.
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