Former Dutch midfielder of Milan and Chelsea among others, Ruud Gullit, spoke about the Rossoneri’s season and more in the interview he gave to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the occasion of the Laureus Awards, whose ceremony was held in Madrid. On the evening of Wednesday, April 23, the red and black side of Milano will be engaged against Inter in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, and Gullit himself spoke of the San Siro challenge:
"If Milan want to save the season they must win the Coppa Italia. Because it is a trophy and because it opens the doors to the Europa League, which at the moment are closed. I know that speaking of titles this year the Italian Super Cup arrived, but that was a surprise and I’m not saying it has already been forgotten, but it is isolated, it is a memory. The fans are not happy, they are not content with the team’s play. A bit like what is happening at Chelsea, another club to which I am attached, likewise in the hands of American owners and which at the moment is searching for its own DNA."
Gullit, how do you see Milan’s future?
"Honestly, I don’t know. I was there before Christmas for the game against Genoa and it was horrible, horrible. The Milan fan struggles to accept this reality, does not recognize it. I was talking about DNA because it is fundamental to rediscover your essence, the play that is part of your identity. I think of Liverpool: Klopp left, they took Slot but they did not lose their nature, people recognize the club’s distinctive traits. Milan must decide what it wants to be and then take the coach and the players to put this idea into practice"
On Sergio Conceicao, Gullit commented:
"I’m certainly not the one who should pronounce on his continuity or not, but at Milan you have to win. That’s why I emphasized the importance of the Coppa Italia. Conceição is a good coach but he arrived at a difficult moment—taking over a team mid-season is always complicated. He was lucky to win the Super Cup; no one expected it. That success could have been a foundation on which to build something but it wasn’t. Milan must get into the Champions League otherwise one cannot speak of a good season. That is Milan’s stage."
On the Scudetto race:
"It will be very tough. Conte and Inzaghi play with the same system, they have solid and above all recognizable teams. When you face them you know what you’re up against, and if you are an Inter or Napoli fan you know what to expect. Impossible to say today who will win, also because Inter is fighting on three fronts and Napoli is thinking only of Serie A."
