Gullit's final fling

In the final part of an extensive piece, Ruud Gullit tells uefa.com about his time in management.

By Pete Sanderson, Federico Rocha & Paul Nixon

Dutch glory
When Gullit was named as the coach of Chelsea FC in 1996 many believed he would go on to become one of the game's finest managers. Not only had he played under some of Europe's greatest coaches, captained his country to glory at UEFA EURO '88 he was also a staunch student of the game.

Famous trophy
Whether it was down to paranoia, over confidence or simply bad timing, Gullit failed to live up to all the hype. At Chelsea he got off to the perfect start, steering his side to FA Cup glory thus becoming the first foreign coach to win the famous old trophy.

'Dutch club'
"Winning the FA Cup was my best memory from my time at Chelsea," Gullit told uefa.com. "But the dream started to fall apart soon after. It soon became clear the people who worked beside me wanted me out. It was not because of the bad results – it was just because they wanted my job. I could not understand it because I would never think like that. It took me two years to get over that and it still hurts now."

'Special coach'
Despite leaving Stamford Bridge under a dark cloud, Gullit was delighted to see Chelsea win their first league title for 50 years under new coach José Mourinho. "I think he is an exceptional coach – a special man," said Gullit. "You can sense the magic with Mourinho as a person just as you can with [David] Beckham. There is no doubt Chelsea deserved their success.

'Mourinho guts'
"He has something everybody wants to have – it is sad that people want to attack you because of your status and your success," he added. "But I like the guy because he has the guts to say what he thinks and - like all great sportsmen - he almost always achieves exactly what he says he will achieve."

'Great expectations'
After Gullit's Stamford Bridge fairytale turned sour, he landed the main job at Newcastle United FC, another club with huge expectations after many years in the doldrums. "I always look back fondly on my time at Newcastle because they had incredible support but things did not quite work out as planned," said Gullit.

'Fan base'
"There is no doubt Newcastle have the potential to be one of the best clubs in the world – they have a great fan base and they deserve success but I don't think I was given enough time to turn it round." He added: "When I left I needed a break. I went away from the game and experienced the normal life – suddenly you realise football is not the most important thing in the world."

Big personality
Gullit was lured back into the game last season by Dutch giants Feyenoord but once again his stint ended prematurely. Whether this will be Gullit's final fling with management only time will tell. But it would be a shame to lose such an iconic figure from the game he gave so much to as a player. One thing is for sure though – his skills and personality will never be forgotten.