Prememento #107: Season 3 Episode 31 - Ruud Gullit

Single moments themselves do not spark revolutions. Yet every one is triggered by an isolated incident. For the Premier League to become the go to destination for the best football talent the world over, there had to be a tipping point. Someone who who would come in and elevate the game, who would – as a manager – dare to challenge the very face of English football.

His Newcastle career is still the stuff of legend, if nothing else than to serve as a warning. The circumstances surrounding it all fascinate nevertheless. Similarly, Chelsea are an extremely unique case study. Especially over the course of the pre Roman Abramovic days. This is mostly in part due to the disparity in terms of success at the top end of the table. But to say they were paupers is to remember it incorrectly. Players of incredible talent came in, trophies were held aloft and ultimately managers would still be sacked unjustly. Ruud Gullit was a trailblazer, in more ways than one.