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Premier League will be poorer without Guus Hiddink
By Jason Burt
When Guus Hiddink leaves Chelsea on 31 May, the day after the FA Cup Final
and less than three weeks from now, he will do so with regret.
Hiddink has hugely enjoyed his brief few months in charge at Stamford
Bridge and, maybe, just may wish, according to those who know him, that
he hadn't given so many binding, unequivocal and irreversible commitments
to returning to be the full-time coach of Russia.
It's a huge job, of course, and one of the things that has most irked
those associated with the Russian Federation in recent months is the assumption
that it would be mad for Hiddink to turn his back on Chelsea and return
to his previous job. After all this is the English Premier League! How
could he not want to stay here!
Hiddink subscribed to that view also and he still, genuinely and whole-heartedly,
remains committed to Russia and the dream of taking them to next year's
World Cup Finals. It's a tournament that will be enriched by his involvement.
But, wow, how he's enjoyed being at Chelsea. He's loved it. Every minute
of it. Even last week's shenanigans following the Champions League exit.
Hiddink doesn't even mind the seemingly endless rounds of media briefings
and scrutiny that the club brings. But then, whisper it, Hiddink is a
bit like Jose Mourinho in liking the sound of his own voice.
In some ways the Chelsea job was made for him. He's a good enough coach,
great enough in fact, a good enough politician and a big enough personality
to take it all in his stride. And, at 62, he knows that this may really
be the last chance he has at being in control of such a big and well-resourced
club.
Hiddink had thought that his days in such an environment were over. He
was wrong. He's probably even surprised himself at how well he's done
at Chelsea and, moreover, how much he's enjoyed it and how much energy
and verve he has drawn from it. He's been a bit re-born.
But Hiddink cannot renege on the commitments he has given to Moscow. His
credibility would be shot and, anyway, Carlo Ancelotti is now all but
installed as Chelsea's next manager.
How will Hiddink feel on 31 May? If he's honest, he'll probably feel far
more regret than he is prepared to admit to. For Chelsea fans also there
will be sadness. It seems the Dutchman will, forever, be the one that
got away. And English football is the poorer for that.
Telegraph.co.uk,
May 12, 2009
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