Ruud Gullit unleashes on Chelsea: Blues legend reveals three reasons why he is concerned for his former club as he admits 'I can't understand them'
Three decades have passed, but his catchphrase never gets old. 'Everybody loves the sexy football,' says a smiling Ruud Gullit in his unmistakable Dutch accent.
The Netherlands legend coined the term while working as a BBC pundit at Euro 96. However, Gullit found nothing sexy about English football when he joined on a from Sampdoria, 30 years ago on Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
'What's not to get excited about?' - your views on 'real deal' Nygren
We asked you for your views after Benjamin Nygren signed a five-year deal with what some of you said:Gordy: A good signing and hopefully just the start - we need cover all over the pitch. Centre back, right and left-back cover is essential and a goal-scoring centre forward, while holding onto to what we have, unless a massive offer comes in that will help buy other players. We need to show more ambition in the transfer market this season to be successful at home and in Nygren scored a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in Europe, and is obviously a very good What's not to get excited about? Another Scandinavian with a clear determination to advance his career and full of positivity. I've seen him play for Sweden and he has bags of energy and drive. Almost looks like he's a mini Daizen, but let's not burden the boy with too much The signing of Nygren could turn out to be a very shrewd piece of business. He appears to be a player on an upward path and with the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, we can hopefully continue his progression. If we can get two/three good seasons out of him then we could end up with a £30m+ asset. Either way it certainly looks like £1.5m well Nygren looks like the real deal. It's difficult to make one's mind up based on highlight reels, right enough. He is saying the right things in the media, regarding his winning mentality, his experience and what he thinks will be expected of him while wearing the hoops. I just hope he has the longevity to do it season after season, on a cold wet Wednesday night in the north east of Scotland!
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Notting Hill Carnival belongs in the streets, now more than ever
The largest street festival in Europe, Notting Hill Carnival, is in crisis. A celebration of Caribbean culture, the Carnival sees around two million people descend on the streets of Notting Hill every year during the August Bank Holiday weekend. But this year, due to a funding crisis and worries over its size, there are fears over whether it will take place at all. London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has shared concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police about crushing at the event, saying that video footage of some of the crowds has 'frightened' him. He also drew comparisons to the potential for another Hillsborough disaster: no little matter for the lifelong Liverpool supporter. Notting Hill Carnival means a lot to me, as a second-generation Caribbean growing up in the UK. Originally held indoors at St Pancras Hall, it was established by Trinidadian activist Claudia Jones in 1959 as a response to the previous year's race riots. She created it to celebrate Caribbean culture and foster unity between Black and white people. A few years ago, when I appeared on an episode of Radio 4's 'Making History' and we were asked to nominate a person who should be featured on their plinth in London, I chose this woman. The outdoor festival, as we now know it, celebrates its 60th anniversary next year. I remember the loud music of Carnival, getting sticks of sugar cane to gnaw on, and the beautiful smell of Caribbean food permeating the air. I was transfixed by the colourful costumes, but most of all by the sight of Black and white people celebrating and dancing together. As a family, we would travel down to London to see my uncle Gus Philip, who was one half of Charlie Phillips' iconic 1967 photograph, Notting Hill Couple – showing a Black man and a white woman was symbolic because it was just this kind of image that fuelled the anger behind the riots. One of the ideas that has been floated about Carnival's future is moving it to Hyde Park and becoming a ticketed event. I find this suggestion offensive – Carnival is a street party based in the Caribbean tradition. As part of a safety report, Met Police reps have said no frontline officer looks forward to working the event due to the possibility of crushing, and the small criminal element that takes advantage of the large crowds to 'cause carnage'. Like so many public events, Carnival has been marred by violence, but this is particularly exaggerated in coverage. It's the only festival where any statement from the police begins with the number of crimes committed. This feels like a continuation of the criminalisation of the Caribbean community that created tension with the police in the first place. No one speaks about Glastonbury, Leeds or Reading in that way. It's an open street festival. Anything that happens near the Carnival or in the general area is attributed to it, and that's simply not accurate. Yet, however nostalgic one feels about it, and however much I hate the more racist commentary, the safety concerns raised do bother me. I can't help but think of the two little boys who are now growing up without their mother, Rebecca Ikumelo, after she was killed in a crush at Brixton Academy in 2023. Security guard Gaby Hutchinson also lost her life that night. Their families have put these deaths down to greed and are calling for the prosecution of those responsible. Hutchinson's family are taking legal action. This is the crux for me: if a disaster were to happen at Carnival, and any other people were left grieving for their family members, they wouldn't accept being told that safety concerns had been overlooked due to their race. But I don't want the environment to be changed, not least because the reasons for Carnival's very existence are still so present. Last year, we saw race riots across the UK, which were very similar to the ones that gave rise to Notting Hill Carnival in the first place. Carnival is about rebellion, celebration and reclamation of space. It belongs in the streets.
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
European U21 champions again - but who could make World Cup?
The triumphant England Under-21s were hidden by the tickertape as they lifted the Euro 2025 trophy. Now they must ensure they do not disappear again. As the blue and white confetti rained down from the Slovakian sky the Young Lions were wrapped up in their deserved to be. Jonathan Rowe's extra-time goal sealed successive European titles after Germany had fought back from 2-0 down in many it was their last chance with the Under-21s, but, with a World Cup next summer, they have the opportunity to force their way into Thomas Tuchel's we assess who might progress to the full squad in time for next year's World Cup, and what the progress of those who went before them might tell us. Who are the standouts to make the World Cup? So, with a World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico less than 12 months away, who can make the step up?Of the Euro 2023 winners, James Trafford, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke and Curtis Jones were named in Tuchel's squad for the games against Andorra and Senegal last we see such a progression from the class of 25?Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento is the obvious one to follow them after a good tournament and a fine season for the has played on the right for England this summer but could fill the problematic left-back role for Myles Lewis-Skelly started in the 3-1 defeat by Senegal and Livramento - given his senior debut against the Republic of Ireland by Carsley last season - will be a standout option next summer should his form returned to the Under-21s this summer after discussions with Tuchel and Carsley, with the pair eager for the 22-year-old to use his experience to help lead the Elliott had the big moments in Slovakia to be named player of the tournament - the opening goal in the final, two match-winning strikes in the semi-final, scoring against Spain and England's opening goal of the tournament against the Czech big moments amplify his talent and only strengthen his and Liverpool's attacker could leave Anfield this summer in search of regular football, after only two Premier League starts in Liverpool's title success, which should push him closer to senior team-mate Jarell Quansah will be expecting more top-level minutes at Bayer Leverkusen, once his impending move from Liverpool is confirmed, after struggling for game time for the champions this season, and, at 33, Dan Burn's England career will not go on City's James McAtee captained the U21s and excelled. But, like Elliott and Quansah, his future is uncertain with reports he could leave Etihad Stadium this summer. This highlights one of the conundrums facing the Premier League's academy products. Selling them on has become highly lucrative for clubs' balance sheets, as they go down as pure profit in the accounts because no transfer fee was paid for them in the first this affect their development, or will moves allow them to thrive like Palmer when he left Manchester City for Chelsea? Who else could be in the reckoning? Centre-back Charlie Cresswell impressed in Slovakia. The Toulouse defender was man of the match in the quarter-final win over Spain in follows a debut season in France during which the former Leeds centre-back was linked with Serie A side son of former Preston and Sheffield United striker Richard, played 33 times as Toulouse finished 10th in Ligue 1 following last summer's move from Elland Road, having made only six starts for his boyhood Forest's Elliot Anderson, who has also played for Scotland Under-21s, was a machine in Slovakia having impressed at the City dynamic and combative 22-year-old is now too old for the Young Lions and a repeat of his first season at Forest will make him hard to is also expected of Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, although, at 18, he is the youngest in the attacker started against Slovenia and Germany in the group stage - off the back of 37 appearances for the Gunners last season - but has time to are plenty of others to consider as well, with several missing from Carsley's Delap was named in the initial group for Slovakia but joined Chelsea and travelled to the Club World Cup. A strong season at Stamford Bridge - following his 12 goals for relegated Ipswich last season - will give Tuchel a strong Gittens, also at the Club World Cup with Borussia Dortmund, is close to a move to Chelsea and the former Manchester City youngster will be able to display his talents in the Premier Wharton - missing the tournament as he recovered from concussion - went to Euro 2024 but never played, and the Crystal Palace midfielder will surely return to the senior squad next Bellingham's move to Dortmund from Sunderland will provide him a platform. Progress for England's youth teams - but senior progress is never guaranteed Tuchel made the dash from the Club World Cup in the US to support the Young Lions against his home nation as they repeated the success of Dave Sexton's side in 1982 and two years ago was an outlier but now it is slowly becoming the had previously failed to get out of the group in five of the previous six of winning, though, manager Lee Carsley's role - along with his coaches and predecessors - has been to develop players and results over the past decade have proved and justified the Football Association's methods since the opening of St George's Park in U17s won the Euros in 2014 and U19s followed in 2017 and 2022. There have also been World Cup wins for the U17s and U20s, both in 2017."We spoke two years ago - we were putting under-21s champions together with under-19s and working out the dynamics of that group," said Carsley."You can see why the under-19s did so well because they're so determined, and that doesn't half help when you're a coach because they want to win; they're used to winning."The more England players we've got who are used to putting on an England shirt and winning can only help the senior team because there's an expectation."You'll see that with the generation now who hopefully have gone through to the seniors, there's an expectancy when they play for England and a performance and a win comes with that."Of the 2023 winners, the most notable current star is Palmer - and another six were in Tuchel's most recent England Colwill, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Gibbs-White, Emile Smith Rowe, Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jones, Angel Gomes and Madueke have won senior 2021 - when England went out at the group stage - Aaron Ramsdale, Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Eberechi Eze add their names to the list, although Hudson-Odoi made hs senior debut in 2019 before playing for the record scorer Eddie Nketiah, who has 16 goals in 17 U21 games, is yet to become an England regular, his one cap coming against Australia two years ago. About half of those victorious in the 1982 and 1984 squads never won a senior cap for England - and none of them went on to be Three Lions Hateley, who was in both squads, won the most caps - 32 - with five more players reaching 10 caps or more, including Terry Fenwick with Owen, who scored twice in the 3-1 second-leg win over Germany, only managed seven England B caps and never made his senior total, 29 players have won the Under-21 European Championship and then a major senior tournament, including Laurent Blanc, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti and Manuel is a list Carsley's victorious squad of 23 would love to join.
