Ruud Gullit reflected on his experience playing at AC Milan with club icons Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. Gullit heaped high praise for his former teammates, particularly for their style of defending.
Baresi and Maldini are still widely regarded as two of the greatest defenders of all time. They achieved great success at Milan and represented Italy at multiple World Cup tournaments. The duo was heavily relied upon to stop the opposing team’s top strikers.
Baresi and Maldini excelled in that role and handled that level of importance. What made that feat impressive was the longevity they had and how they maintained such a high level. During the time they were teammates, Italy’s Serie A was widely considered the top league in the world, making their success even more impressive.
Gullit pointed to their anticipation as what set them apart from the rest.
AC Milan Legend Ruud Gullit Reveals What Made Baresi and Maldini So Great
Ruud Gullit recalled how Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini would approach a match and how they utilized their physical traits. Gullit signed with AC Milan in 1987 and played with both players until his move to Sampdoria in 1993.
Maldini and Baresi, meanwhile, played together from 1984 until 1997, when Baresi retired. Milan was a very difficult team to score against, conceding less than 20 goals in domestic league play multiple times.
Gullit noted that the defensive duo had high football IQ and showcased that with how they shut down opposing teams.
“Anticipation [made Baresi and Maldini such great defenders]. It was all about anticipating what the opposition could do to hurt you before they even realized it themselves. After that, it was their strength and power, and speed that helped them but it all came back to anticipating those moments where you have a problem,” Gullit exclusively told Heavy Sports via ComeOn.
“If you react, you’re too late. You must always see where the danger is first. If you spend your whole life on the pitch watching like a fan, watching the beautiful ball, then all of a sudden the striker will come against you. They were always looking for something that could happen, not what was already happening.”
Milan Legend Gullit Shares Honest Take on Italian Serie A
Gullit also shared his honest thoughts on the state of Italian football, particularly Serie A. While there are still clubs like Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Napoli, there are not the same resources there were once before.
Gullit pointed to the Premier League, which has lucrative distribution deals that bring in significant revenue. As a result, the league can attract top players in their prime, as well as young ascending talents.
“The biggest problem for the other big countries like is the fact that English football makes so much more money from its revenues and television, and this is the difference. Not a lot of countries can deal with that,” Gullit exclusively told Heavy Sports via ComeOn.
“Italian football is not doing well, and even the national team cannot qualify for tournaments, so they are in a little bit of a situation and everyone is looking at each other thinking, ‘What the hell is happening to Italy?’ They need to be clever to get back to the top again and it will take time,” he said. “You need the money but there won’t be another Silvio Berlusconi.”
Ruud Gullit Reveals Just How Great AC Milan Icons Baresi and Maldini Really Were