Gullit: I'd be worth €40M today; Mbappe and Vinicius can coexist

Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was interviewed by the newspaper AS in Madrid, where he talked about the Champions League, the World Cup, the schedule, Yamal, and the current situation of Real Madrid.

To start with a direct question, who will win the Champions League?

That's a direct question, I like it. I'm optimistic about Bayern Munich. They are playing very well now, and I think they have a good chance. There's also Paris Saint-Germain. This team has impressed me again recently, especially their midfield. I really like the way they control the game. So in my opinion, the champion is most likely to come from these two teams. Of course, unfortunately, they are facing each other right now. So I think the final champion should be one of these two teams.

What about the World Cup?

I think Spain and France are the strongest. Of course, I definitely hope that the Netherlands can win the championship.

I haven't watched you play, but my father always said you were an "all-around player." Is this type becoming less and less common?

Thank you for saying that. As for whether this type is becoming less common, I can't say for sure. In fact, being able to play many positions may or may not be an advantage. Because the coach will always think that if there is a problem in any position, they can put you there to fill in. Sometimes this will make you constantly adapt to different positions. But what players really want is often to do their best in their most proficient area. If you are always changing positions, you are not stably exerting your strongest side, but constantly adapting. Of course, I used to be able to do these things, but to be honest, it wasn't always a good thing.

If you were in today's transfer market, how much would you be worth?

I was already a record-breaking transfer back then. I think, about 40 million. But this kind of thing is also difficult to say, because the value of a player ultimately depends on how much others are willing to pay for you. I have always cherished my career as a player, it was a very beautiful experience. I also cherish the things I have accomplished in football. I hope that football can continue to progress and continue to bring joy and enjoyment to everyone.

Is the current schedule too packed?

There are really too many games. You see now, more and more players are getting injured, and cruciate ligament injuries are becoming more and more common. Some people may even miss the World Cup because of this. With games being played like this, the load is definitely too much. As for whether the outside world will seriously listen to these voices, I don't know. Now it seems that everyone is only thinking about one thing, that is, the games and performances must continue. But the reality is that players are constantly getting injured. What's even more troublesome is that many players will think in their minds whether they should put in 90% of their effort or 100%, because no one wants to miss the World Cup. It's the same when playing in the semi-finals of a major tournament. Of course, you want to fight, but you will worry about not being able to play in the final after getting injured. This kind of thought will always be in your mind. Others may not want you to think like this, but in the subconscious, it is really difficult to completely avoid these concerns.

Now many people are saying that the more games there are, the more money you earn.

Yes, but many people will then say that players earn so much money, so don't complain and just shut up and play. Maybe some people think that way, but health cannot be bought back with money. If you only look at it from the perspective of money, then of course there seems to be nothing to say. But I think that most players play football not simply for money, but to win, for the fans, and for trophies. So I don't agree with the saying that "players should shut up." Because the reality is there, there are more and more injuries, which is obviously not what everyone wants to see. Another problem is also very obvious. Many players are not in their best physical condition when they arrive at the World Cup. After playing a full season, people are already tired, and then they have to continue playing in the World Cup. So many times, the best players can't play at their best. This is also why everyone was so happy when the last World Cup was held in winter, because we saw more players in their peak condition that time.

If you were in today's football, who do you think is most like you?

I really can't say. I always think that everyone is special as an individual. This is not just a problem of football, but also a matter of life itself. I never believe in so-called mediocrity. I think everyone has their own special thing, the key is to find it. At the same time, you must also have pursuit and ambition. So I believe that everyone has something special about them.

Which players excite you to watch nowadays?

Yes, of course there are. Yamal and Pedri both count. Kane too, he is a striker who has scored a lot of goals. And Ronaldo, let's see what state he will be in at the World Cup. Messi is the same. These players can excite the whole world. Of course, there are many other excellent players now, Mbappe is very good. We always think about whether there will be players in the future who reach the level of Ronaldo and Messi? I think there will be, someone will definitely approach that great era.

What do you think of Lamine Yamal? An 18-year-old player doing these things, it seems that everyone now takes it for granted.

This is not normal at all. His biggest problem is that the team relies too much on him now, but he is still so young after all. What I am most worried about is his injury, because he is always being used. Many people will say that young people recover quickly and can handle it, but you can see the situation of Pedri and Gavi. Young players play too many games, national team games, and major tournament tasks are all piled up on them, and the risk of injury will naturally follow. And once you are really injured, it is not easy to recover to the original level. So I sincerely hope that this kind of thing will not happen again. But having said that, I really like the way he plays now.

You also became the captain when you were very young. For a team, is it especially important to have veterans in the locker room?

Of course it's important, and it's a must. Because veterans will teach you a lot of things in training, and they will also remind you of many details, telling you how to deal with certain situations. You grow up slowly by relying on these things, especially on the training ground. Without these veterans leading you, reminding you, and correcting you, then you are likely to continue to do things in your own way, and then repeatedly make some very low-level mistakes. More importantly, because no one reminds you, you may not even realize where you are wrong. So in a team, veterans are really important.

Let's talk about Real Madrid. Do you think Mbappe and Vinicius are a suitable combination?

They can certainly become a good partner, and we have actually seen this. It's just that too many things have happened to Real Madrid recently. The coach was dismissed, and a new coach came. The most dangerous thing about this Real Madrid team now is from the players' individual abilities. But if you look at other teams, they play more like a whole. I think things would be better if Real Madrid could also do this.

Because now you can see that many players have to desperately make up for it, to provide support for these frontcourt players, but this kind of play is difficult to maintain all the time. You look at Paris Saint-Germain, everyone is actively defending, which is what must be done in modern football. I'm not saying that Real Madrid players don't do these things at all, but at least from the current point of view, they are not doing enough. Sometimes you will see some players walking more on the field, and the rhythm is not keeping up. It's already troublesome for one person to do this, and if there are two, the problem will be even bigger.

If a coach can really make them understand that this is also part of the game and is a requirement that must be accepted, then Real Madrid will regain a strong competitiveness. But I still like watching Real Madrid games, because when their players' individual abilities explode, it's really amazing. But now when facing Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, which have both individual ability and are very mature as a whole, the game will be very difficult. I also hope they can do better.