Hiddink stays with Russia

Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, the agent of the Russian national soccer coach, confirmed today that Guus Hiddink will activate the two-year extension of his contract to run from 2010 to 2012. Russian soccer fans hope he will be able to build on the UEFA semi-finals in 2008, after failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Photo: Hiddink stays with Russia

Cees van Nieuwenhuizen declared on Friday in an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph, that Guss Hiddink, 63, “is happy in the Russian national team” and intends to prolong his contract until 2012, despite his side’s pitiful performance against Slovenia over two games in the knock-out qualifying phase for South Africa 2010.

Guss Hiddink’s success as a coach is enviable: With PSV Eindhoven, he won the Dutch First Division Championship six times, ( 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89 2002/03, 2004/05 and 2005/06), the UEFA Champions League in 1987/88 and the Dutch Cup three times (1987/88, 1988/89 and 1989/90). To this he added the World Clubs Title with Real Madrid in 1998 and the English FA Cup with Chelsea in 2008/9.

As a national team coach, he took Holland and South Korea to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, respectively, in 1998 and 2002 and in 2006, guaranteed Australia their first presence in a World Cup final stage in 32 years.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY

PRAVDA.Ru