Chelsea Football Club has confirmed the appointment of former Netherland’s manager Guus Hiddink as first-team manager until the end of the season. Hiddink was appointed as a short term replacement for the shacked Jose Mourinho, who parted company with London club following his team’s disastrous run in the league, where they lost 9 games out of 16 under the ousted Portuguese.
In a statement on the Club’s website, Hiddink was welcomed by the board and owner and he was described as “a coach with a wealth of top-level experience and the success.” The statement reads:
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm Guus Hiddink has been appointed first-team manager until the end of the season.
“The owner and the Board welcome back a coach with a wealth of top-level experience and success, including his previous spell with the club in 2009 when we lifted the FA Cup.
“Mr Abramovich and the Board believe that Guus has what it takes to get the best out of our talented squad.
Hiddink, 69, had a previous spell at the club as an interim manager, replacing BrazilIan manager, Luis Philipe Scolari in 2009 and ended up securing top four finish and winning the FA Cup final against Everton at Wembley.
The Dutch manager started off well in that stint, beginning with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa in his first game, which set the tone for the remainder of the season, and it took a last-minute Andres Iniesta strike on a controversial night to deny the Blues a place in the Champions League final.
Guus’s first stay in west London ended well, with the whole of Stamford Bridge cheering and singing his name at the club’s final home game of the season. The rapturous support was echoed in the FA Cup final at Wembley, where they unveiled a huge ‘thank you’ banber.
About his appointmentioned, the Dutchman said:
”I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around.
‘’I am looking forward to working with the players and staff at this great club and especially renewing my wonderful relationship with the Chelsea fans.’
Hiddink was present at Stamford Bridge to witness the sudden rejuvenation of the team he is about take charge trashed Sunderland 3 – 1 with two quick fire goals from Ivanovic and Pedro giving them a two goal cushion in the opening 13 minutes of the game. The rampant Blues went on to add a third on the 50 minute mark through Brazilian midfielder Oscar. Sunderland pulled one back 3 minutes later through Fabio Borini but that was just a consolation as the game finished 3 – 1.
The result was a far cry from the lacklustre performances under Jose Mourinho this reason, which culminated in the sacking of the 52 year-old Portuguese manager. And it has vindicated the notion that there was a fallout between Mourinho and a section of the club’s players.
The game where Chelsea fans vented their anger at the sacking of the ‘Special One’ with placards and singing out his name, was overseen by Steve Holland who took control of team matters in the wake of Mourinho’s departure and was incharge last evening’s game alongside Eddie Newton, who will now take on the role of assistant first-team coach.
Guus Hiddink is a well travelled and vastly experienced manager as stated in the Chelsea statement, having managed his native Dutch team, one of six international posts he has held including Russia, Australia, Turkey and South Korea, during a coaching career which has spanned three decades.
His first managerial job was in his homeland with PSV, a club he had represented during a 15-year playing career. As coach, he lifted three league titles and the European Cup in 1988. Three more followed during a second stint there between 2002 and 2006, with the intervening years seeing him coach in Turkey and Spain.
As South Korea coach, he led them to a stunning third place at the 2002 World Cup on home soil, one place better than with the Netherlands four years earlier.
Having taken the Russian job in 2006, Guus led them to the semi-finals of Euro 2008 before taking the reins at Chelsea on a temporary basis in early 2009.
