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Russia wants Hiddink to help with 2018 World Cup bid
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Photo: RIA Novosti
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Russian football authorities are counting on national team
manager Guus Hiddink to help them in their 2018 World Cup bid.
"We hope that Guus Hiddink will become an ambassador for our bid
to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia," Russian Football Union (RFU)
general director Alexei Sorokin told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
"We intend to hold talks with him as soon as he flies into Moscow
for preparations for our qualifier against Finland," he added.
Russia face the Finns in a 2010 World Cup qualifier in Helsinki on June
10.
Sorokin also said that the RFU would also approach a number of other figures,
"both Russians and foreigners," to promote Russia's bid to hold
the tournament.
Hiddink has managed Russia since 2006, leading the team to the semifinals
of Euro 2008. He took over at Chelsea in February on a temporary basis,
but is due to return to coaching Russia full time after the London club's
FA Cup final clash with Everton on May 30.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's sports
minister to prepare the country's proposal for the right to host the 2018
World Cup.
Russia's main rival is likely to be England, which has not hosted a World
Cup since 1966. Russia's bid may have been damaged by problems encountered
by Euro 2012 joint hosts Poland and Ukraine in their preparations for
the competition. Euro 2012 is the first time a major soccer tournament
has been awarded to Eastern European nations.
The host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced
by FIFA in December 2010. Under FIFA's new rotation rules, the same continent
cannot host consecutive World Cups, meaning that if England were awarded
the 2018 tournament then Russia would not be eligible for the 2022 finals.
RIA
Novosti, 2009, May 19
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