Football Talk - Chelsea confirm Hiddink appointment - 11/02/09
Chelsea have confirmed that Guus Hiddink will take over as temporary coach until the end of the season. The Premier League club have also revealed that the 62-year-old Dutchman will meet the players later this week.
"The club would like to take this opportunity to thank the Russian Football Union for their understanding and cooperation," said a statement. Hiddink, who will remain in his post as coach of the Russian national side, replaces Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was sacked on Monday.
"It's never enough time to prepare a team in one week but this is an exceptional situation," Hiddink added. "Chelsea have good players and they should be in top form and that should make my job easier."
Hiddink, contracted to Russia until the end of the 2010 World Cup, said before his appointment that he only intended to help out until the end of the season. "It's a favour for a friend," said the former Holland, South Korea and Australia coach, who has close ties to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
"Abramovich does so much for Russian football that I wanted to give something back. He called me personally." When asked about the possibility of continuing beyond this season at Stamford Bridge, Hiddink said: "There are two scenarios: it goes bad and they say 'go back east' or it goes well, but I'm not thinking that far ahead.
"There will be no damage for the Russian national team, we focus now and in the future on the Russian team."
Russia have two World Cup qualifiers over the course of the rest of the Premier League season - at home to Azerbaijan on 28 March and away to Liechtenstein four days later. Hiddink revealed he planned to contact his predecessor Scolari within the next two days to discuss team matters.
"I always want to see the situation in the team myself first before making any changes if they have to be made."
Abramovich was instrumental in Hiddink's appointment as Russia manager in 2006, and the pair have since maintained close ties. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is considered the favourite to take over on a permanent basis next summer.
