A year earlier, at a press conference, O'Neill had remarked that Ruud Gullit was at the end of his career, sneering at Fleet Street's adulation of him. The fact that Richard openly backed Gullit only deepened the ire of Chelsea fans.
Yet, it was undeniable that Gullit had re-established Chelsea as a serious force in English football. Winning the FA Cup brought them back into Europe, earning a place in the 1997–98 Cup Winners' Cup.
This was Chelsea's first trophy in 26 years. Having beaten Manchester City in last season's final, that triumph is often remembered as the rebirth of Chelsea.
Much of this resurgence was made possible because Ken Bates backed Gullit financially, giving him the freedom to sign top players from abroad — something unusual in the Premier League at the time. With stars like Zola, Di Matteo, Vialli, and Leboeuf, Chelsea were no longer just domestic hopefuls; they had become legitimate European contenders.
