When Silvio Berlusconi secretly signed Ruud Gullit

A look back at how Berlusconi secretly signed Gullit to AC Milan in November 1986, launching the era of the Dutch trio.

Next week marks forty years since Silvio Berlusconi travelled to Amsterdam to persuade Ruud Gullit to join AC Milan. The article revisits the secret nighttime meeting that set in motion one of football's most celebrated transfers. While the achievements of Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard at Milan are well known across the world, the story of how their Italian adventure began has remained less documented.

The piece traces the origins of what became known as the Tre Olandesi—the Three Dutchmen—whose success would define an era at the San Siro.