Dutch Icon Ruud Gullit (63) Advises National Coach Ronald Koeman for FIFA World Cup: 'That's What You Need to Ensure'

According to Gullit, there are several favorites. "France, Spain, Argentina, Portugal, and the Netherlands are the biggest contenders for me," the former football star told Sportnieuws.nl. The 1988 European Championship winner believes that the Dutch national team needs more than just quality to go far. "Koeman needs to bring a very big horseshoe," Gullit quipped, referring to the fact that the Dutch team also needs a bit of luck.

However, there's a serious point behind Gullit's jest. "Having luck on your side is incredibly important. Especially in the early rounds, you don't need to play well, but you do need to win narrowly. You need to make sure other teams think: 'Oh, they're not that good.' And then you have to grow into the tournament; that's when you have the best chance. You shouldn't start off brilliantly, because you simply won't be able to maintain that."

Gullit believes the World Cup conditions play a significant role in this. "You're lucky that most stadiums are covered and have air conditioning, because playing in blistering heat just isn't pleasant," said the former international. He knows better than anyone how tough football in the United States can be. In 1994, he walked out of the Dutch training camp after a dispute with then-national coach Dick Advocaat over playing style.

At the time, the former star considered it unwise to play an attacking style in the American heat. He even called it 'pure suicide.' Years later, Gullit still regrets his decision not to play in the tournament. "If I could have done it differently, I would have done so immediately," Gullit reflected remorsefully. "I'll leave it at that."

Advocaat also commented on the 1994 situation to Sportnieuws.nl. "Whether the attacking playing style was Ruud's real reason, we still don't know," the 78-year-old coach began after all these years. "What we did realize is that the heat in the United States was truly unbearable. You couldn't really play football there. However, with the Netherlands, we reached the quarter-finals, so we still did quite well."

Gullit has a clear opinion on the ideal timing for a major tournament. The former Ballon d'Or winner sees more merit in winter tournaments, like the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "Everyone thought that was ridiculous, but I'd want it much more often. It's much easier to facilitate matches normally, and players are much fitter than at the end of the season," Gullit stated.

He also pointed to the physical issues within the Dutch squad. Players like Jurriën Timber and Memphis Depay are still struggling with complaints heading into the World Cup. "It's completely normal for them to have issues at this point. You're constantly in survival mode to stay fit. If you then have a moment without tension in your body, injuries occur, and it takes several weeks for your body to fully recover," Gullit concluded.

The FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11, but the Dutch national team won't start their tournament until three days later. Ronald Koeman's squad will play their first match against Japan on June 14. This will be followed by group stage clashes with Sweden on June 20 and Tunisia on June 26.