Milan legend Ruud Gullit has spoken to La Gazzetta dello Sport about his Champions League favourites, Serie A’s struggle to attract the world’s best players, Milan’s season, and Juventus’ 15-point deduction.
The Dutchman made 171 appearances for Rossoneri across seven seasons at the club, in which time he lifted the European Cup on two occasions and won three Scudettos.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 1987 and also played two seasons at Sampdoria following his trophy-laden stint in Milan.
Regarding the Champions League (formerly the European Cup), the two-time winner revealed an Italian team are his personal favourites to win the competition this year.
“I already said Napoli are the favourite to win the Champions League and I haven’t changed my mind.
“They play a brand of football that everyone wants to see. Quick and vertical. Premier League clubs are strong and the same is true of Bayern and Real Madrid, but Napoli are totally different from the others.
“That Napoli side [which won the Scudetto in ‘87 and ‘89] depended on Maradona, while this is a complete and entertaining team. They can win the title and go far in Europe”
Away from Napoli who are alone at the top of the table, there is currently a battle to finish in the top four, in which Gullit’s former club Milan are firmly engaged.
The Serie A holders are sitting in fourth place, level on points with Roma and two points ahead of Lazio.
Stefano Piloi’s side managed to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 last week (1-0).
Discussing Milan’s season, Gullit said:
“It’s tough. They’ve been struggling, but not everything is as easy as last season.
“Things have been trickier for them this season, but anything can happen in football. They won the first leg against Tottenham in the Champions League. Let’s see how it goes.”
As for the change in power since the 1990s which saw many fall in love with Serie A across the globe, Gullit claimed that Italian clubs are now lacking in prowess compared to the modern-day giants from the Premier League and La Liga due to there being less world-class players:
“During my era, all the best players were in Serie A, now they are in England and Spain. The Champions League is a tough competition for Italians.
“I am convinced that Italian clubs play good football, but only top players can give that spark you need in certain games.”
Juventus’ 15-point deduction which pushed them out of the top four race – for the time being – was also brought up for Gullit to offer his view:
“It’s always bad when something like this happens. You never want to face a similar situation, which should never happen in a big club like Juventus. I hope they’ve learned now.
“They were penalised and it’s a pity. The rest of Europe is not surprised and this is the worst thing. Juventus are a great club and don’t need this. I am confident they have understood.”
