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HIDDINK: I AM NOT LEAVING RUSSIA FOREVER
Yesterday the Russian national team head coach
Guus Hiddink visited the Sport Express office and talked about his four-year
stay in Russian side.
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Guus Hiddink Photo SPORT EXPRESS
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- Shall we consider it as your farewell visit to us or just
a meeting of old friends?
- Well it will really be the last meeting formally, but let's keep it
like old friends. I am leaving, but it doesn't matter that I am leaving
forever, because my being here for almost four years has grown in lot
of people, a lot of good relations and friendship. And it is one of the
reasons why I will come back one day, so it's not goodbye, it's just an
ending of the period.
- Speaking about periods, each person's life is divided into chapters,
and a chapter ends, it's natural for each of us to think about this chapter
and tell that something has been done. When you think about Russian chapter
of life, do you think that something wasn't done?
- Of course if you mentioned very well, each chapter of your life you
have to reconsider and make analysis of what was good or wrong or not
achieved. What was not achieved, what I desperately wanted is qualification
of the World Cup of course and I don't want to deny it, because it would
have been a perfect period from my staying here with all the help of other
people. The Russian team has grown last years and it would have been a
perfect highlight of period for players and Russian football as well.
- Can you tell us when and how the decision has been taken to leave and
not extend your contract?
- Well, this is also important, that we didn't achieve the goal and I
feel responsible. It's easier to say that when you go for a goal like
qualifying for the World Cup and you don't reach this goal, it's easy
to point out to others, but I am a man who likes to analyze the situation,
including the team, including myself. You can a conclusion that I am also
responsible.
And there was a period with the upcoming change in federation to give
other people maybe new ideas, maybe new vision to go in the other direction.
This is the main reason to give other people a fully openness to start
again.
- You arrived to Moscow two days ago, you watched the CSKA game and you
visited us, which is a very nice gesture. But five days you stay in Moscow,
do you have any important meetings with the Football Union people or some
other people?
- First of all I think this paper is very supportive to football and sport
in general, and I think you cannot be critical, it must be in positive
way critical to people, who work in sports, that is what I like. I don't
like when people are just following with blind eyes, write articles without
any criticism.
Of course I have my meetings, my preparations for the next period for
the Russian football. And although I won't be there anymore professionally,
it's also my obligation to see what we can do to get the best program
starting September for qualification.
- Did the new RFU president talk to you about the new coach of the Russian
national team?
- So far no, because we haven't had long meetings. We didn't talk about
it, so it's up to him to decide.
Sport
Express Daily, 27 February 2010
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