Ruud Gullit mad one of his most foolish decisions on this day when as Newcastle United Manager in 1999 when he decided to leave Alan Shearer on the bench for the Magpies' home fixture against local rivals Sunderland. Newcastle United was not enjoying a good start to the 1999-20 season and they went down "again" 1-2 to The Mackens. Realising that he was losing popularity with the home crowd, he was sensible enough to "quit" three days later. Bright boy!
Gullit was born as Rudi Dil, in Amsterdam to George Gullit, a Surinamese, who arrived in the Netherlands with Herman Rijkaard (father of Frank Rijkaard), and Dutch mistress Ria Dil, from Amsterdam. The Gullit family lived in one split level room on the top floor of a small apartment building. Gullit's father worked as an economics teacher at a local school, his mother as a custodian at the Rijksmuseum.
Gullit developed his football skills in the confines of the Rozendwarsstraat, and street football was instrumental in his formative years. Gullit's first team were the Meerboys, where he joined as a junior in 1970. At the age of ten, however, Gullit moved from the Jordaan to Amsterdam Old West where he played street football alongside Frank Rijkaard. Gullit joined the DWS club after his move, and came to the attention of the Dutch Youth team, where he played alongside future full international teammates, Erwin Koeman, Ronald Koeman and Wim Kieft.
It was during his time at DWS that Gullit first took to using his father's surname, rather than his registered surname (from his mother), as he thought Gullit sounded more like a football player.
In 1995, as a player, 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 captained the Dutch National team that was victorious at the UEFA Euro Cup 1988 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and at Euro 1992.
Gullit won the Ballon d'Or in 1987 and was named the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. In 2004, he was named one of the Top 125 Greatest Living Footballers as part of FIFA 100th Year Anniversary.
In the summer of 1996, when Glenn Hoddle left Chelsea to become manager of the England, Gullit was appointed as a player-manager becoming the first Dutch manager in the Premier League. Gullit made a promising start to his managerial career when in the first season as a player-manager he guided Chelsea to an FA Cup triumph in 1997, the club's first major trophy in 26 years. In doing so he became the first manager from outside the British Isles and the first Black Manager to win a major British football trophy. The club also finished at a creditable sixth place in the Premiership.
The following season, with Chelsea in second place in the Premiership and proceeding to the quarter-finals in two cup competitions, he was sacked, allegedly for a disagreement with the club's board over compensation, though Gullit himself disputed this.
| 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) |
| 1993–1994 | → Sampdoria (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 | ||
| 1998–1999 | Newcastle United | ||
| 2004–2005 | Feyenoord | ||
| 2007–2008 | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2011 | Terek Grozny* | ||
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