Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Ex-Chelsea player and manager Ruud Gullit has claimed his former side can secure a Champions League and English Premier League double — because they ‘frighten the hell’ out of their rivals.
Gullit insists the Blues, who play Paris Saint-Germain away on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, remain the only side capable of beating tournament favourites Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
The Dutchman, speaking as part of a promotional event for the Laureus World Sport Awards, also tipped Jose Mourinho’s men to reign supreme in England — if they stop dropping points against so-called lesser sides.
Gullit said: “I think Chelsea are favourites [to win the Champions League]. They are the one team that can beat Barcelona and Bayern Munich. They can really tussle it up, they can really press them. And if you press players, you make mistakes. Therefore I think that they can do it.”
On the domestic front, Chelsea are second in the EPL, two points behind leaders Liverpool, after suffering a shock 1-0 defeat at struggling Crystal Palace.
But Gullit insisted this was a mere blip, adding: “They are frightening the hell out of all the other teams. I think that they are strong favourites. [Jose Mourinho won’t admit it] but they are, because they play good football and they press the ball well. They are good defensively and they have strong players.
“The only thing is they have lost some points against the lower teams, for some reason, and especially in the last 15 minutes. So that’s odd.”
Gullit also hopes the only other English side left in the Champions League, Manchester United, keep faith with beleaguered boss David Moyes.
“Man United have nothing to lose [in the Champions League],” he said. “It’s not fun to see Man United in this situation, because we want them to be Man United, you know?”
“But although they are having their difficulties, just wait, allow Moyes to buy his players in the summer.”
He added: “Of course they need to give him a chance. Everybody knew that nobody wanted to be the successor of [Sir Alex] Ferguson. But they now want to be the successor of Moyes.
“He’s the only one that can change that. Give him the opportunity.”
The former Newcastle United, Feyenoord and Los Angeles Galaxy coach also revealed he hopes to return to management soon, with his last stint in the dugout being during an ill-fated spell at Russian club Terek Grozny in 2011.
Gullit, who currently works on ambassadorial projects and as a television pundit, said: “Yeah, I think I will be coming back. I enjoy what I’m doing, presenting the Ballon d’Or, doing the European Cup draw, travelling around. But I enjoy that.
“I don’t know [when I will return]. But at the moment I am doing what I am doing, and I enjoy that.”
