Former AC Milan midfielder Ruud Gullit has revealed his delight that the Rossoneri are challenging for the title again, but picked Juventus to win in.
After years of what felt like being in the wilderness in Serie A let alone in European competitions, Milan have had a successful season so far having been top for the vast majority of campaign, although they were recently overtaken by Inter.
Gullit is a player who knows what it takes to win trophies and the Scudetto in particular, and during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport he revealed that he is happy to see Milan having gone from fighting for a spot in the top 10 at the beginning of 2020 to fighting for the league now.
“I’m happy to see my Milan up there, finally fighting for the title. Unfortunately, the injuries made themselves felt but it’s a top team,” he said (via MilanLive).
Gullit then spoke of the fight for the Scudetto, and he is the latest to say that you cannot count Juve out.
“My favourite remains Juve. Of course, Inter are in the lead, Milan played well before being held back by absences and I like Lazio too, but the Bianconeri have the strongest team and can come back.”
The Dutchman is confident that Milan can progress in the clash against Manchester United in the Europa League.
“[United are] A strong team, but with some environmental problems. Solskjaer is always on the grill. Look at a photo of him today and one from when he accepted the job – he looks decades older. There is always controversy around United, being a manager in Manchester after Ferguson is complicated.”
A few words about Ibrahimovic: “Let’s clarify it immediately, I never said that Zlatan is too old. Never. Simply, after his last, bad injury, I thought it was hard to get back to the top. Instead Ibra is still a wonderful player: his mentality and his work ethic also make his team-mates grow.”
There has been a stir in the media caused by Ibrahimovic’s decision to speak out against NBA star LeBron James and his constant political voice in the media. Gullit does not regret the times he spoke out and adopted such a stance.
“I dedicated the Golden Ball to Nelson Mandela. In those days everyone told you to just play. But I have always had my say against Apartheid in South Africa. I never thought it was a political issue, but one of human rights and freedom. I played reggae and had a certain cultural setting. In Italy then, no one knew the story of Mandela: my dedication helped to raise awareness among others, so I don’t regret it.”
Most dear Ruud Gullit, those were the days. We Milan fans were all Dutch those days.