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Ex-Chelsea star Ruud Gullit has stated that Blues owner Todd Boehly did not recognise him during a recent meeting, insisting the American is out of touch with the club.
Gullit, who won the 1987 Ballon d'Or award, joined Chelsea in 1995 after a brilliant spell in the Serie A for AC Milan and Sampdoria. He scored seven goals in 64 total appearances for the Blues, serving as the club's player-manager between 1996 and 1998.
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During a chat on the Stick to Football podcast, Gullit said (h/t Daily Mail):
"I met the owner, Todd Boehly. I introduced myself, 'Hi, I am Ruud Gullit.' Todd said, 'What do you do?' I replied, 'Well, I played football, also played and coached for Chelsea.' Todd said, 'Oh yeah, when did you play for Chelsea, what did you do?' He didn't know. Can I blame him? No, I don't think so."
Gullit, who helped the west London side win the FA Cup in 1997, added:
"But this is what it is a little bit because they don't know what the club is all about. [Manchester United's] DNA is gone, you have a certain DNA and that has gone a little bit. [Arsenal] had a good DNA with Arsene Wenger, it went a little bit but now you have a new one under Mikel Arteta."
Urging the Blues to follow in Liverpool's footsteps, Gullit concluded:
"The good thing, what I like for instance about Liverpool is that Jurgen Klopp gave them a DNA and then they got another coach who did exactly the same. Slight differences but almost the same. That's what you need to do."
The Stamford Bridge side, who are in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, are fifth with 60 points from 34 Premier League games this term.
Chelsea keen to sign 22-year-old star
In his Give Me Sport column, transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano revealed Chelsea are aiming to sign Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers. He wrote:
"Rogers is one of the players they appreciate, perfect in terms of age and skills. He's considered similar to Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens who [is] high on the list along with dream target Nico Williams [of Athletic Club]."
Rogers, 22, has emerged as a breakout star in the Premier League in the ongoing 2024-25 season. He has registered 14 goals and 13 assists in 50 overall outings for Aston Villa this term.
The versatile midfielder's current contract is set to expire on June 2030.
