Hiddink Extends Russia Contract
Guus Hiddink agreed to a two-year contract extension as Russia soccer coach through the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, ruling him out of a move to English Premier League team Chelsea.
The 60-year-old Dutchman, who signed a two-year deal with Russia after leading Australia to the second round of last year World Cup, decided to stay on after discussions with Russian Football Union President Vitaly Mutko. Newspaper reports in the U.K. had linked Hiddink with a move to Chelsea, whose coach Jose Mourinho left last month.
We have reached an agreement that Guus will stay Russia coach until the summer of 2010, Mutko said yesterday on the Union Web site. The details are still to be finalized, but onthe whole we are satisfied with his work.
Russia has won eight of 12 matches since Hiddink appointment and is third in its qualifying group for next year European Championships behind Croatia and England.
Hiddink extension isnt dependent on the team advancing to the 16-nation tournament, Mutko added.
Russia, ranked 26th by world governing body FIFA, won its only major title at the 1960 European Championships. Hiddink led the Netherlands and South Korea to World Cup semifinals.
Chelsea, which appointed Avram Grant as Mourinhoreplacement on Sept. 20, yesterday said that it reached an agreement with Ajax to recruit Henk ten Cate from the 29-time
Dutch champion as assistant first-team coach.
The London club wants to hire Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard at the end of the season as Mourinhos long-term successor, newspapers including the Daily Mail reported this week.
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