576 career games 

Ruud Gullit's teammates XI - Which stars played the most career games with the Dutch legend?

©IMAGO

When it comes to greats of the European game, few players can match Ruud Gullit for achievements in European football. Over the course of a 20-year career that spanned Dutch, Italian and English football, the Amsterdam-born star was the perfect blend of athleticism and elegance, which saw him win no less than six league championships with AC Milan, PSV and Feyenoord, as well as two European Cups, a European Championship with the Netherlands and even the Ballon d’Or in 1987. In no uncertain terms, Gullit was one of the best players in the world during the peak of his career. So which players were fortunate enough to spend the most time with him on the pitch over the course of his 576 career games? Let’s find out. 

Ruud Gullit XI

As we can see in the graphic above, Gullit played with some truly remarkable players over the course of his playing career in the Netherlands, Italy and England. Unsurprisingly, it is dominated by figures from AC Milan’s golden era under Arrigo Sacchi, a team that revolutionised European football in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gullit’s attacking partner Marco van Basten features prominently, having played 147 matches alongside him, while Frank Rijkaard—another Dutch great—lines up in midfield with 141 games together. The defensive core is just as iconic, featuring Paolo Maldini (136 games), Franco Baresi (153), Mauro Tassotti (151), and goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, who played with Gullit 123 times, largely for the Dutch national team. Midfielders Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Donadoni also make the list, while versatile winger Alberico Evani tops it with 159 matches—more than any other teammate. Interestingly, Danish defender Ivan Nielsen is also included, thanks to his time with Gullit at Feyenoord and PSV. 

In terms of which managers Gullit worked under, there’s little doubt that Sacchi dominated the player’s career due to their time together at Milan. In second place is Hans van Doorneveld, who coached Gullit during his time at Haarlem to the tune of 76 games across all competitions. Fabio Capello is in third place, having coached the Dutch talent at AC Milan for 67 games and then in fourth place is Sven-Göran Eriksson, who Gullit played under at fellow Serie A side Sampdoria. Interestingly, Gullit also worked under his own guidance in 24 games, due to his role as a player-manager at Chelsea.