Gullit explains how training drills under Sacchi created elite AC Milan side | OneFootball

Ruud Gullit has lifted the lid on what made the AC Milan side he was part of so great, in particular under head coach Arrigo Sacchi.

Gullit is widely regarded as being one of the best footballers of all time and his ability to play a number of positions certainly contributes that. He went from sweeper (deep centre-back) to striker in less than two years, after moving from PSV to Milan in 1987 for a world record transfer fee.

It was with the Rossoneri that he former the famous ‘Tre Tulipani’ alongside Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. He would win three Serie A titles and two European Cups with Milan, before leaving for Sampdoria.

The Dutchman was a guest on The Overlap, a podcast hosted by Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott. Carragher in particular is a vocal admirer of the 1990s Milan sides, and he picked Gullit’s brain.

“In the beginning Berlusconi wanted to have a team that played attractive football. In the beginning we didn’t know what to expect nothing else because for us because Marco and I, Marco van Basten and I, were the first ones to come. Frank [Rijkaard] came the second year.

“The first year was, you know, with obstacles. In the beginning we played 4-3-3 then good game bad game good game bad game then Van Basten got injured and all of a sudden we had to play 4-4-2 and we had to play against Verona, always a very difficult opponent for Milan.

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“We outplayed them and from there on we started.  I played as a striker with Virdis together. In the beginning I played as a right winger. Then I played as a striker and all of a sudden it started to grow and and we worked so immensely hard on physical condition and on tactical especially when we didn’t have the ball.

“So how we get the ball back? Yes by pressing but you could not have high pressing because otherwise they kick it back to the goalkeeper. They could pick it up in their hands. So we had to wait and set a trap and we always kept one side open.

“So they would go to the full-backs, full-backs go forward and then we press nick the ball of them and then we then we play. So that that was a little bit the setup and but defensively it was so well done because in training sessions in the beginning we played goalkeeper, four defenders, two midfielders against 11.

“So I had to play as a right wing. I had to play against Maldini all the time. Couldn’t score a goal. Impossible to score a goal. Van Basten was playing also against, so was in my team. Couldn’t score a goal. Maybe from long distance maybe but penetration impossible.

“Then we played goalkeeper, four defenders against 11. Couldn’t penetrate. Impossible. Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi and Maldini. You could not penetrate, was impossible. You could not go through. Long distance, yes. What they did very well was that it was like an harmonic you know movement.

“So every time when the ball goes back – when you have the ball as a winger – you can’t go past them you have to go back but on the moment you go back they went forward as well. So went forward all the time.

“Normally you know, you are a striker [looking at Ian Wright] if you are a striker you don’t want to go back they always want to stay. So therefore if you go forward and the cross comes it’s always offside.”