Ruud Gullit

Ruud Gullit
Gullit in 2024
Personal information
Full name Ruud Gullit[1]
Birth name Rudi Dil[2]
Date of birth (1962-09-01) 1 September 1962 (age 62)[1]
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands[1]
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position(s) Forward, midfielder, defender
Youth career
1967–1975 ASV Meerboys
1975–1979 DWS[4]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1982 HFC Haarlem 91 (32)
1982–1985 Feyenoord 85 (30)
1985–1987 PSV 68 (46)
1987–1994 AC Milan 125 (38)
1993–1994Sampdoria (loan) 31 (15)
1994–1995 Sampdoria 22 (9)
1995–1998 Chelsea 48 (4)
Total 470 (174)
International career
1979 Netherlands U-21 4 (1)
1981–1994 Netherlands 66 (17)
Managerial career
1996–1998 Chelsea (player-manager)
1998–1999 Newcastle United
2004–2005 Feyenoord
2007–2008 LA Galaxy
2011 Terek Grozny
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1988 West Germany
Third place 1992 Sweden
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ruud Gullit (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈryt ˈxʏlɪt] ;[note 1] born Rudi Dil; 1 September 1962) is a Dutch former footballer and subsequent manager who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s as a forward, midfielder or defender. In 2004, he was named one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.

Gullit captained the Netherlands national team that was victorious at the UEFA Euro 1988 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992.

At club level, he moved from PSV to AC Milan in 1987 for a world record transfer fee.[5] Nicknamed "the black Tulip", he was part of a notable Dutch trio at AC Milan which included Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. Gullit won three Serie A titles and two European Cups with Milan. In 1995, he signed for Chelsea and a year later was appointed the club's player-manager. In his debut season, he led Chelsea to FA Cup success, the club's first major title for 26 years, and in doing so became the first overseas manager to win the FA Cup.

Gullit won the Ballon d'Or in 1987 and was named the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. Normally an attacking midfielder,[6] he was a versatile player, playing in numerous positions during his career.

  1. ^ a b c "Ruud Gullit". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  2. ^ Turnbull, Simon (22 October 2011). "Football: Gullit delights in being different". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Ruud Gullit: Overview". Premier League. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Vader Gullit beschuldigt 'arrogante Ajacieden'". Trouw.nl. 1 June 1994. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  5. ^ "The history of the world transfer record" Archived 2 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2014
  6. ^ "Gullit: The Netherlands' Black Tulip". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.


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