Igor RABINER
from Saint-Petersburg

Gus was not allowed into the FIFA Club. Yes, yes, you heard right. In a hotel near St. Isaac's Cathedral, the International Football Federation set up its camp a couple of weeks ago, and part of it has always been empty. There he planned our conversation over a cup of cappuccino he adored, but a strict English-speaking woman from categorically refused to let the famous coach in there. Although there was not a single person there.

Hiddink was angry - after all, in some deeper rooms of the FIFA Club, unknown persons kept passing football world persons who have clearly less merit in the game than the Dutch coach. And he needed little - access to the outside bar. But FIFA paid for these premises, and the owner is a gentleman. And there it doesn’t matter who played what role in the history of football. Though Hiddink, although he wanted to go there, but also failed to do so, the mayor of Sochi. Whose mood clearly improved at the sight of Gus, and a small delegation from Sochi took pictures with him with pleasure.

Anyway, in a good hotel there is always a cozy place for a conversation. In addition, a few minutes later, his wife Elizabeth joined us, who came to St. Petersburg for four days. The waiters were impeccable and Hiddink supported them in Russian: "Very well!"

He reacted with enthusiasm when he paraded in the very "Club FIFA": "He is here in the FIFA group, which is analyzing and preparing possible changes in the rules. Former rival!" If anyone has forgotten, van Basten led that magical June 2008 evening in Basel when the Russians beat the Oranges in the Euro quarter-finals. Such are the coincidences.

Gus, who worked throughout the tournament, as you already know from his previous interview with "SE", an expert on Fox Sports USA, and I talked about the last tournament and general impressions of being in the country. The master's remarks are all the more important because he remains the only coach in the history of our post-Soviet national team who managed to qualify from the group at the World or European Championships - and, moreover, go even further.

June 24. Kazan. Mexico - Russia - 2:1. Stanislav CHERCHESOV (left): emotions on the edge. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

CHERCHESOV BUILD A COMPETITIVE TEAM

"SE" had a great headline last week - struck me Hiddink with its awareness. - On the day of one of the matches you had on the front page in large print: "Stan, do it like Gus!" I liked it very much!

- It was a match with, and it sounded exactly like this: "Stas, be like Gus!" The fact is that you are the only coach in the history of the Russian national team who left the group with her at big tournaments. But how do you know about this hat?!

We had this paper in our Fox Sports USA studio, and the meaning of the headline was translated for me. Of course, I could now say that I am a KGB agent, or what do you call this special service now - FBS? (Laughs.)

- FSB.

Yes exactly. But everything is much easier!

- Let's talk about the Russian team. How would you rate the work of the head coach at the tournament? Stanislav Cherchesov?

I see that he is in the process of building a competitive team to participate in such a tournament as the World Cup. It's the most important. On my own experience, with the Korean national team in 2001, I went through the Confederations Cup. And I know for sure that this is a certain point where you can quite reasonably and objectively assess where you are compared to other teams.

Yes, don't you know. At that Confederations Cup, although you won two matches in the group, you did not reach the semi-finals due to the defeat from the French - 0:5. But the next year they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Like me 16 years ago, Cherchesova there is now a year left to build on the lessons learned from this tournament and work on things that need to be improved. Each of the three games held by the Russians is a valuable lesson.

- Do you see progress if you compare the current Russian team with the one that played a year ago at Euro-2016 in France?

This team is more energetic. Yes, this energy does not appear for all 90 minutes, but this is impossible. I liked that in two matches, when your team started to concede in the score and needed to add, it did it. That is, we saw the correct reaction of the team to the unfavorable course of events! And is it important. True, neither Portugal, neither with Mexico equalize Russia failed, however, with the Portuguese the second half was not like the first, and with the Mexicans the team was not very embarrassed even by the removal.

She didn't throw out the white flag.

Although this often happens in such situations. But even ten Russia managed to create a scoring chance when he shot above the gate. Another thing is that an energetic and confident game should be gradually turned into a standard for the team. So far, she is only visible from time to time.

The Russians celebrate a goal against Mexico. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

- The first half with Mexico - in terms of activity, pressure, attacking orientation - reminded me of your Russian team at Euro-2008.

Yes. I will say the same about the starting segment of the match with New Zealand. I even timed it in the opening match when Russia I really liked it - the first 12 and a half minutes.

In both cases, the team played extremely compactly, "covering" the opponents at the moment of the loss of the ball and moving around the field in a coordinated and close to each other. I liked it all very much. Now the task Cherchesova- increase the duration of the segments when the team can play such compact football.

- What do you think is the potential of this team in a year? What stage of the World Cup is she able to reach in the best hands?

The main thing is that she should concentrate on the positive moments that we saw at the Confederations Cup. And, in particular, around the character shown after the removal in the match with Mexico. Around the first half in the same game, some fragments of the meeting with . It's good that before the world championship there will be three or four weeks for targeted preparation, which helped us a lot in 2008. The players looked at me with a plea: "When will this all be over?!" But in the end, we entered the tournament perfectly prepared. I hope the same will happen ten years later, and Russia can play hard. Intensity is the main word for today's football.

- In your opinion, is the quarter-final for our team achievable in principle?

- Can you compare the level of the players of your and the current Russian national teams?

I would not like to do this, especially since I cannot be objective in this matter. Of course, I have nostalgia, I really love that wonderful team and its players. In general, comparing players from different times is unfair.

It is important that at that moment the already high-quality players were also very well prepared functionally, and I was proud of the team. But the way the current Russian team played gave hope that in a year, with careful preparation she can play pretty much the same.

- The problem is that, according to many, the current generation of Russian compilation albums is the least talented in history.

If you have a good team spirit and a carefully crafted game strategy, this can make up for a very large part of your lack of super skill. We had players who could decide the outcome of an episode of the game with their class.

- Today in the Russian team is not visible.

Oh, Andrei could score a goal himself and create an opportunity for others. This is true. How can you forget the other guys?!

Mistake by Igor Akinfeev (left) in the match against Mexico. Photo by Alexey IVANOV, "SE"

IF IN THE BREAK THE FIELD WAS MORE ABUSEDLY, THE BALL WOULD Bounce TO THE SIDE OF AKINFEEV

- But from your time remained. Given his age and injury history, are you surprised that he is still in the national team and, moreover, in the first roles in it?

I agree, he played very well. Yuri and I know each other very well. Any national team needs young guys 22-23 years old who are knocking on the door. Experienced players can play, but these should support them, creating fair but tough competition for them in the position. This will level up the entire team.

- How can you explain his red card? Was it the result of team shock after the second Mexican goal?

Yuri is not one of those who are easily shocked by something (smiles). I always want to protect him. I don't think it was too much swipe elbow. On the other hand, on the second yellow card he probably pulled, and, in my opinion, Zhirkov recognized the validity of this decision. He shouldn't have done this because he knew he already had a warning. But I can't be neutral when I talk about Yuri because I love him so much! He is very, very gifted.

- Before the start of the tournament, you sent an SMS with words of support to him, and - to the three players who remained in the national team from your time. No more texting?

No, only then. I wished good luck, they thanked me with response messages.

- And what, in your opinion, happened to Akinfeev at the time of the second Mexican goal?

I use a play on words in English. Igor in that episode was too eager (the name of the goalkeeper and this word meaning "impatient" sound very similar. - Note. I.R.), to solve the problem. And it turned out to be difficult.

The Mexicans, being under pressure, just knocked the ball towards the Russian goal. In the language of hockey, we can say that they just "thrown the puck out of the zone." That throw was not a good constructive pass. It just happened!

And what happened next, I am convinced, must be seen not only as a Russian mistake. The guy who kicked the ball was very brave going all the way! Igor went out of the penalty area and misjudged the situation. He tried to get a high-flying ball with his foot, but, I repeat, the short Mexican turned out to be brave, not removing his head. But here's another nuance that I thought about then.

- What is it?

If the field were wetter, the ball would bounce off the lawn at a sharper angle, that is, closer to Akinfeev. Immediately, the rebound turned out to be more vertical, and Igor did not have time to reach it.

- That is, if the field had been watered more abundantly during the break, this mistake could not have happened?

Yes. And this once again shows how important the smallest nuances are in football.

– Could Akinfeev also show a red card?

Could. But because of the goal, the referees forgot about that shot, fortunately for him.

- The main goalkeeper of the Russian national team for the last 13 years has been grossly mistaken in two of the last three big tournaments - the 2014 World Cup and the 2017 KK. Do you think it's time to look for a new number one?

I remember that in my presence, and for a long time afterwards, he did very Good work. Every football player has the right to make a mistake, but if the goalkeeper makes it, it becomes fatal. From what I see, Igor, the captain of the national team, feels a very large measure of responsibility for the team.

Now I'm not close enough to her to draw the right conclusions about what you asked. But I repeat: he also has the right to oversight. Do not forget that your great goalkeeper Lev Yashin played in the national team until 40 years old, and ended his career even later! And this means that goalkeepers can play for a very long time.

- Moreover, he had an unsuccessful World Cup in 1962, after which he was mercilessly booed by fans in Moscow, and he almost ended his career. I went fishing for three or four months ...

Threw himself into the water and caught fish with his goalkeeper's hands? (Laughs.)

- Maybe. That's how he came to his senses and the next year he won the Golden Ball.

And a monument to him, which I remember very well, stands near the Dynamo stadium! It is impossible for any footballer, even the most remarkable, not to make mistakes and keep his highest level in absolutely every match. And even now, when the number of matches, especially in the leading leagues of the world, reaches 55-60 per season, even more so.

Alexander GOLOVIN. Photo by Alexey IVANOV, "SE"

GOLOVINA DID NOT KNOW BEFORE THE CONFEDERATION CUP. I LIKED HIM

- So that's the trouble, that Russian football players do not play in these leagues. And there are much fewer matches, and the pace, and the level of resistance in them is much lower. In your opinion, does this affect the class of the national team players?

This is a real topic of concern. In the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, the intensity of the games is high. Look at the Chileans, the players like and who play in these leagues. I'm not even talking about individual skill. And that they, getting the ball, instantly speed up the game and make it more intense. Because they are used to playing like this in their leagues.

- And Vidal also jumps so that the rest remain to his waist.

And it's very nice to look at. This is exactly what is the essence of modern football. In general, Russian football lacks just this intensity. In the transition from defense to attack, in an effort to ensure that in one or another zone - the middle of the field, closer to other people's gates - you turned out to be more than your opponents. The maximum of vertical, diagonal gears is what we should strive for.

What pleased me in what I saw with the Russian team is that the players are able to show a more intense game than they are used to. But so far this happens in shorter segments than their strongest opponents.

- Do you think that any of the Russian players are able to play on high level in the top leagues? For example, Golovin?

If he manages to cope with that common Russian football the problem we just talked about, yes. It's not about technical ability. In addition, they are naturally very magnificent. No coach will teach you this.

It's a pity that Dzagoev now injured. But both he and he have the technical skills to play in any league in the world. However, they need to be able to handle the other level of intensity that they have.

- Did you know Golovin before the Confederations Cup?

To be honest, no. I liked him. The guy's game shows that he is aware of what he is capable of, and it's nice to look at it. And when he gets used to more intensity, he will become even more productive.

- Would you advise him to leave right now, a year before the World Cup? After all, in the top leagues there is a risk that he will sit on the bench, while in CSKA he will have a guaranteed place in the squad. And - the rate is more than important.

It's none of my business. I follow the Russian championship too little to make such conclusions. But he is 21 years old - the age when you have to constantly play. And a year later - the home World Cup. There is a danger that if he goes into big club, then will not enter the field regularly. For the next season, this is a rather difficult choice. Does Golovin have a specific proposal?

- There are regular talks - primarily from a number of agents - that Arsenal are interested in him.

Agents, agents, agents... They love to talk! I know that a number of serious scouts came to the tournament. But I won't go into more detail on this subject. (laughs).

- And from Smolov they expected exactly what he showed, or more?

It was interesting to look at him. Because everyone counted on it, which means that serious pressure was put on him. In my opinion, it did not crush him. He was active. But in big matches, it was precisely the intensity and rigidity of the actions of the defenders that he faced and which are lacking in the Russian championship.

At the same time, he had some very good solo passes, penetrating into someone else's box, shots and passes. He hit the post beautifully against Mexico. He is fast and capable of acceleration with the ball, he has a great shot, he is able to "kill". It is very important that the midfield delivers the ball to him in the right areas and at the right moments. In my opinion, Fedor should not move too much to the flanks in search of the ball and too deep to the center of the field. He needs to be and open in the penalty area. It's very good that Smolov got such invaluable experience as playing against other tough guys.

For the foul of José FONTI (right), the referee could well have awarded a penalty in the semi-final against Chile. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

MAYBE THE VIDEO ASSISTANTS WENT TO THE TOILET IN THE PENALTY EPISODE IN THE SEMI-FINAL?

- How do you like the new judging system with video assistants?

It was used for the first time in official tournaments of national teams. In my opinion, this system has worked in favor of the fairness of judicial decisions. At the same time, it needs some improvements. Some decisions, made or not, even after consulting with video assistants, raised doubts.

This is especially true of the incident with a fight during a match with Mexico. This was not just a boom-boom-boom skirmish during which it was impossible to see anything. Everything went beyond a certain limit.

Then many accused the referee of not giving any red cards. But, in my opinion, in such a bustle it is difficult or impossible to place all the blame on the arbitrator. Because when it starts mass brawl, tracking the initiators from the field is extremely difficult. You are too close for that. Then the help of video assistants is really needed. Their evaluation of the episode should be more active. As in the case of individual rough attacks by a player when there is no ball near and close. I believe that the decision-making time with the help of VAR should also be reduced.

However, this is nothing more than a side note. I would like to emphasize once again that, in general, I consider the decision to use video assistants to be the right one. Enough refereeing mistakes were neutralized thanks to VAR. Some retrogrades say: "No, it's great when arbitrators have the right to make mistakes. They are people!" Yes, of course, they have such a right. But when it regularly flouts justice, the system must change.

Sometimes I hear: "That's the charm of the game, that the referee can make a mistake." This is bullshit! And I hope that after the introduction of the new system, we will gradually leave behind such points of view. They are the past.

- Don't you think it's strange that new system Was it possible not to assign a penalty in the obvious episode of the semi-final match Portugal - Chile?

Yes, when he fouled. In such a situation, you can blame the Italian referee ( Gianluca Rocky. - Note. I.R.), which usually sees more and more sharply. I have seen his work in Serie A many times, and I like it. But in this case, VAR, in my opinion, should have behaved more insistently. Of course, the final decision is up to the chief referee, but the video assistants had to say: "In our opinion, this is a penalty."

In the end, the result of the match was in favor of the one affected by that decision. But it could have turned out the other way around, and then it would have turned out that the error would have affected the result. And the Chileans would have the right to say: "Why do we need VAR then?"

That is why I say that, since next year the best teams will be presented at the world championship, then the referee, including the video, must be the best. And there is no need to think about them being neutral and not representing the countries participating in the championship. The main thing is qualification.

- Do you have any idea why that penalty wasn't awarded?

Perhaps the video assistants at that moment went to the toilet. Or for a minute went out into the air to smoke a cigarette. Even if the arbitrator does not ask the VAR for their opinion, but they see what happened, their duty is to report their vision to the arbitrator and ask him to review the episode and make the final decision. I don't know exactly how things like this happen, but that's how it is in my understanding.

Fedor SMOLOV in the game with Mexico. Photo by Alexander FEDOROV, "SE"

AFTER THE PUSH, SMOLOV DID NOT FALL, BUT JUMPED

- In Russia, too, many believe that of the four controversial episodes with penalties in favor of the hosts - one each against New Zealand and Portugal and two against Mexico - 11-meter should have been assigned.

I remember that Smolova With Mexico slightly pushed! There, in my opinion, the problem was that Smalley jumped a little. When you are pushed in the back, you fall down instead of flying up. Yes, they touched him. But it seemed that the fall was, let's say, a little more colorful than the violation.

I admit that the judges were confused by this. The moment was not unambiguous in either direction, I would call it controversial. I think that in such situations we must respect the decisions of the referees.

- At least we watched the episode with Smolov. With Zhirkov - no.

There, his right leg was slightly hurt. Some referees in such cases believe that the player puts his foot on purpose so that it is hurt. Gets hit. But this episode was also close to a penalty kick. Again, it was not an unequivocal penalty, but there were certain grounds for a penalty kick.

- One way or another, in both cases the score was 0:0, and the missed penalties did not affect the course of the match, since Russia opened the scoring anyway. Now, if they were ignored at 1:0, 1:1 or 1:2 ...

Yes. But, one way or another, I am convinced that the appearance of video assistants greatly facilitates the work of referee teams.

- Do you remember the episode with the fall of Bukharov at the end of the match with the Portuguese?

I can't say that this episode was right in front of my eyes. But too big to even fall! (Laughs.) This is a joke, of course. But I don't have an accurate assessment of the episode.

- But did you expect more loyal refereeing in relation to the hosts? Moreover, you had such an experience - in Korea-2002.

First, the Confederations Cup is not a world championship. And secondly, I think that home refereeing should not be. The arbitrators must be neutral.

IN THE DANGER OF A STORM, OUR STUDIO ON THE NEVA WAS EVACUATED IN TWO-THREE MINUTES

- Let's return to the issue of hospitality, which FIFA did not please you with. In general, is everything in order with him at the Confederations Cup?

No problems at all! The people are very friendly and positive. And, what is very important, everyone does their job at a high level. The same security services supervise everything perfectly and perform their own duties from and to, but at the same time they behave in the highest degree culturally. And this is important, because, on the one hand, the main thing is to ensure security, but on the other hand, you should not do it in an incorrect form. But at KK-2017, this is not even close.

In our previous conversation, I already told you that before the opening match, after the screening, the whole group of people involved in security in that compartment asked me for a photo together, and it was wonderful. There were no more such stories, but it still stuck in my memory. Nice!

- Did it work well?

Very. Fox Sports USA rented a beautiful studio on outdoors against the backdrop of the Neva. And they took care of us. At some point, black clouds suddenly gathered sharply, and there was a danger of a thunderstorm - with thunder and lightning. Apparently, the forecast was disappointing, and security guards immediately ran to us: "You need to urgently return to the hotel!" And within two or three minutes we were provided with cars to transport not only ourselves, but also all the equipment to a safe place.

- I have no doubt that the cultural program you have with Elizabeth, people who are interested in everything in the world, stood out for glory.

Yes, just yesterday we had an interesting tour of the city, and the guide not only showed us St. Petersburg, but also told us a lot of details unknown to us. And not only about him, but, for example, about the murder of the royal family by the Bolsheviks in Yekaterinburg. After the opening of the KGB archives during the Yeltsin era, the terrible details of the crime were revealed - after all, this execution, judging by its details, can be called ritual.

We have always been very interested in Russian history, rich and deep. And at the end of the tour we went to the Hermitage for an hour and a half. I am happy that life in football has given me the opportunity to remove the blinders from my eyes and get to know so many wonderful countries and their people. I thought about it more than once during the tour, and in general during these weeks in St. Petersburg. The same goes for the kitchen. On days when there are no matches, we dine in traditional Russian restaurants and have great fun.

- Did you like the tournament from the organizational point of view?

No questions! Maybe I can't fully judge everything, because I spent the entire tournament in St. Petersburg. It's a fact that the Confederations Cup had great stadiums. Heard that there were some problems with one lawn.

- Where you actually are.

Yes. As far as I know, there have been no such issues in other cities. But, after all, this is the Confederations Cup, not the World Cup. There is a year left before the main tournament, and the current one is held just in order to try everything and learn from it. Today the game is getting faster and more "vertical". And for this you need slightly wet fields with short-cut grass. They don't have to be like meadows. But with the attendance of the tournament, in my opinion, everything was quite good. It seems to me that Kazan has distinguished itself for the better from this point of view.

- Yes, in terms of occupancy, it was in first place among all cities.

In general, I liked the stadium there, the stands are located close to the field. But here, of course, it was also about the matches that were held in a particular city. In Kazan, the sign has always been excellent, including the game with the participation of the Russian team.

- Interestingly, the most attended match before the final was the game between Portugal and New Zealand - more than 56,000.

Didn't know it. This once again emphasizes the importance for the public of the presence of big stars on the field - such as. 56 is great! Yes, most often the stadiums were not filled to capacity, but again, let's not forget that we are talking about the Confederations Cup, and not about the World Cup. I had a similar experience in Korea in 2001 and it was exactly the same.

In my opinion, attendance there was even lower. At that time, football in Korea was not considered a very big spectacle for its public, it needed promotion. But there were no problems at the championship itself, and I am sure that the same will happen in Russia.

- Do you have the feeling that Russia is almost ready to host the World Cup?

Yes, sure. Your organizers will certainly appreciate what needs to be improved and will do so. But in general, everything is OK. And the stadiums - in the first place. I can’t rate hotels and other infrastructure in different cities because he was only in one.

It is important that I did not hear from anyone at all a single bad word about the fact that there were some negative manifestations at the Confederations Cup like racism, violence and something like that. Neither at the level of official information, nor at the level of oral stories and whispers. Nothing! I won't admire it. And I will argue that this is normal. The way it should be.

- the other day he came to Moscow and said that he asked him to help at the 2018 World Cup. If this is true, in your opinion, how can the great Argentinean help us?

Oh, I don't even know. What I am sure of exactly - not in terms of hospitality, since people in Russia will receive guests with all their hearts, I do not doubt it for a second. Maybe Maradona can convince the world, a large part of which listens to him, that Russia is worth seeing, even if you have to fly very far.

- And now about 7 thousand Chilean fans have already flown to the tournament!

So much?! I have no doubt that they have gained an amazing experience.

- True, in one of the first days there was a bad story, widely covered in the media - a rogue taxi driver "heated" a Chilean journalist for a thousand dollars. But the police caught him, and he returned the money.

These things need to be monitored very carefully. When such stories come up, it is not good for the country, but the main thing is that effective measures were taken. By the way, I have never heard of this story., - proof of the correctness of the training system for young football players in this country. Let's go back a decade and a half.

Germany And Holland are always in a state of some competition. At that time we had an advantage in terms of the quality of the players thanks to a very good system of youth football education. From 6 to 19 years old, they didn’t teach the game better, probably nowhere. IN Holland much more focused on technical training than on an athletic one. The Germans, in contrast, have always been physically stronger, but technique and coordination prevailed in the long run.

Then there were changes. Holland moved a little to the side functional training, Germany- technical. And strongly. With the help of the federation, the Germans launched a new nationwide state program children's football and it became a whole philosophy, strategy. Divided the whole country into 8 or 9 regional centers, in which the federation recruited very good children's coaches. Each region conducted the most powerful scouting, finding all the capable boys. They began systematic work on a weekly basis under a single program, and now it is bearing fruit. What this second German team did at the Confederations Cup is the full result of this strategy.

- Is it a surprise for you?

No. This is a lesson for many countries. Including for Russia and its football union.

Coached the same club for almost his entire career. But this is not at all a necessary success factor, as the Dutch specialist Guus Hiddink, who is today one of the most respected coaches in the world of football, readily proves.

Player career

Hiddink was born in Warsseveld in 1946, and it was there that his football career began. At first he was in football academy the club of the same name, and then played in its composition until the age of 21, when he was spotted by the larger Dutch club De Graafschap - it was there that he spent most of his career. Guus Hiddink, whose biography includes far from one club, in Grafshap was noted for playing about 300 matches for him and spent a total of 9 years there. But not in a row - already in 1970, the 24-year-old Hiddink moved to one of the strongest clubs in the country, PSV Eindhoven. However, there he only spent a whole year in vain, and in 1971 he again ended up in De Graafschap, for which he played another five years. But when he turned 30, the club's management did not consider that he was ready to continue to compete for a place in the first team, so Guus Hiddink went on loan to the United States - Washington Diplomats was waiting for him there, where he spent six months. After that, the player went on a one-year loan to the San Jose Earthquakes, again in the United States - it was Gus's longest departure abroad. He spent the rest of his career in Holland, moving to NEC in 1978. And only in 1981, at the age of 35, Hiddink returned to De Graafschap to end his career in his favorite club a year later.

Start of coaching

Guus Hiddink already knew then that he would be a coach, so he returned to De Graafschap not just as a player, but as a playing assistant coach. He sometimes took to the field, but most of the time he helped the club's then coach Hib Rijgrok. A year later, Hiddink was invited to the post of assistant coach at PSV, which was very flattering, because he had to work with then-famous coach Jan Reker. Hiddink spent four years in this position, and as a result was rewarded - after the dismissal of Reker, it was he who was offered the vacant position of head coach - this is how his coaching career began.

Favorite club of the coach

As you know, as a player, Guus Hiddink spent almost his entire career at De Graafschap, and today he is a fan of this club and worries about it. But as a manager, Hiddink has another favorite club - and that's PSV. The Dutch took the risk by appointing a coach with no actual work experience, because Hiddink was only an assistant, that is, he observed, helped, studied, but did not lead. As it turned out, the leadership of PSV did not fail - the coach held his position for more than three years, and during this time the club has achieved excellent results. For three years in a row, PSV won the Dutch championship and the same number of times in a row - the Dutch Cup. It was a real hegemony of the club in the home arena, and on the international one, too, everything turned out very well - in 1988, Hiddink led PSV to victory in the European Cup. But in 1990, Gus could not lead his club to the championship, so he was forced to leave it, but only to return in 2002 and spend another 4 unforgettable years. During this time, Hiddink won the Dutch championship three times and the Dutch Cup once, which made the fans incredibly happy. Twice he confessed best coach Holland - in 2005 and 2006. However, Guus Hiddink coached not only PSV, but also other clubs.

Other clubs in Hiddink

After leaving PSV in 1990, Hiddink went to Turkey to coach Galatasaray, but did not bring success to the club, so a year later he moved to Spain, where he took on Valencia, but even there for 3 years of coaching activities, he was unable to achieve decent results. Hiddink's first success after PSV was Real Madrid. In 1998, Gus was appointed to the coaching position, won with creamy Club Championship world, but failed in everything else, so he was fired, but did not remain without work. The post of coach Hiddink was offered by another Spanish “Real”, but not Madrid, but Betis. But even there, things did not work out for the Dutchman. It is also worth noting the arrival of Hiddink in 2009 at Chelsea, with whom the coach won the FA Cup, but nothing else remarkable happened, so he was fired less than a year later. And, of course, the club that flared up in the Russian arena after the injection of money, but almost immediately went out - "Anji". Guus Hiddink became both a coach and vice-president of the Makhachkala club in 2012, but already in 2013 he left both positions. So far, Hiddink has no longer coached at the club level, but he still had enough jobs in the national teams of different countries.

Hiddink as national coach

Guus Hiddink, whose photo on the Runet can most often be seen in the company of the Russian national team, also coached other national teams. Gus got his first experience with national teams when he left Valencia in 1994 - almost immediately he was appointed coach of his native Dutch team. As a result, he led the national team to the European Championship in 1996 and the World Championship in 1998, but he could not achieve serious success in the final stage, so he was forced to leave. Having missed the 2000 European Championship, Hiddink tried to make up for lost time by hitting not the strongest team South Korea at the 2002 World Cup, brought her to an honorable fourth place, after which he left his post anyway. In 2006, the coach brought to the next national team of not the highest order - Australia, but here, too, luck left the Dutchman. From 2010 to 2011, he also managed the Turkish national team, but the results were frankly unsuccessful, so Hiddink did not even finalize before the contract expiration date. However, everyone knows that Gus is best known for coaching the Russian national team from 2006 to 2010.

Gus Ivanovich

The news that the eminent Dutch specialist will become the coach of the Russian national team has become a real boom - everyone was waiting for a miracle from Hiddink. And he did this miracle - at the championship of the year, the Russian team reached the semi-finals and received a bronze medal - everyone has been dreaming of such success for a long time. Since the team performed amazingly, Hiddink's contract was extended for another two years. But happiness could not last forever - Hiddink could not get the Russian team to the 2010 World Cup, as the Russians could not beat the Slovenes in the play-offs. After that, Gus Ivanovich, as he was called in Russia, announced his intention to leave the national team. He was noted for many interesting incidents, for example, when he received - the duet "Sisters Zaitseva" even made the number "Guus Hiddink after his release", which literally blew up the Internet. But Hiddink in Russia will be remembered primarily for his sensational work with the national team at the 2008 European Championship.

Where is Hiddink now?

The last place of work of the Dutch specialist was Anji Makhachkala - so where is Guus Hiddink now, who is he coaching? After he left Anji in 2013, Gus took a break and retired from coaching. They even began to talk about the fact that Hiddink could end his coaching career, because he is already 67 years old, and this is a considerable age, which is difficult to combine with the stress that is inevitable in such a position. But Hiddink denied these rumors by signing a contract with the Dutch national team, which will enter into force in August 2014, after the completion of the World Cup in Brazil. This means that it is Gus who will prepare the Dutch for the European Championship 2016.

Gus' achievements

As a result, Guus Hiddink collected an impressive number of awards during his career - he won the Dutch championship six times, 4 times - the Dutch Cup, once he got the national Super Cup, as well as the European Cup, FA Cup and Intercontinental Cup. With the national teams of Holland and South Korea, he took fourth place at the World Championships, and with the Russian team - a bronze medal at the European Championship.

Guus Hiddink is one of the brightest representatives of the Dutch coaching school, he has successfully worked with both club teams as well as with national teams.

Guus Hiddink

• Country - Holland.
• Born: November 8, 1946.

Biography and career of Guus Hiddink

Guus Hiddink was born in the small Dutch town of Varseveld in an ordinary family, where, in addition to him, there were five children, and, interestingly, all boys.

Guus Hiddink - footballer

Career Hiddink - football player, to put it mildly, was not outstanding. After joining amateur club Varssveld, he soon moved to Dutch top division club De Graafschap, where he spent most of his career playing as a midfielder.

In 1970, one of the flagships of Dutch football, PSV, became interested in Hiddink, but he could not gain a foothold in the base of the club, and returned two years later. Then there were two seasons in MLS - in the Washington Diplomats and San Jose Earthquakes, homecoming, first to NEC, and then to his native De Grafschap, where Guus Hiddink ended his playing career.

Guus Hiddink coaching career

Guus Hiddink has a reputation for being somewhat of a lucky guy (one of his nicknames is "The Lucky Dutchman"), and many people have the impression that he was successful almost everywhere he worked. Actually it is not.

As head coach, Guus Hiddink has worked with seven clubs and five national teams. And the balance was not always positive. We will not go far - under his leadership, the Dutch team could not qualify for Euro 2016, where almost half of the participants now get qualifying tournament.

Therefore, my story will not be a chronological enumeration of teams headed by Guus Hiddink, I will only tell about the main milestones of his still glorious coaching career.

"PSV"

1987-1990, 2002-2006

In 1982, Guus Hiddink joined the De Graafschap coaching staff, moved to the PSV headquarters two years later, and in 1987 took over the team. And the time of Hiddink's work is inscribed in the history of PSV in golden letters. In the first season, the team under his leadership won the championship, the Dutch Cup and the European Cup. By the way, the only time in its history.

Hiddink debugged the game in defense, which he led on the field - in 34 matches the team conceded only 28 goals (for Erdivize, where the score is 4:3 in almost every round, the result is outstanding), and the attack relied more on improvisation. As a result, in the championship matches, the PSV players sent 117 goals into the opponents' goal (Ajax became the second in this indicator - 78), and the striker of the team Wim Kieft with 29 goals became top scorer tournament.

At the same time, Hiddink acquired a reputation for being lucky. The fact is that PSV won the Champions Cup without winning a single victory in the last five matches and scoring only two goals in them! How so, you ask? Yes, it's very simple - the quarter-finals with Bordeaux and the semi-finals with Real ended in the same way - 1-1 away and 0-0 at home, i.e. PSV went further due to the away goals rule, and in the final against Benfica, which also ended with a score of 0: 0, Hiddink's team won in the penalty shoot-out.

Then there was a "golden double" in the 1988-1989 season and the Dutch Cup, won in 1990, after which Guus Hiddink left the club.

Hiddink's second arrival at PSV came in 2002, and the club then won three league titles in a row. Moreover, Hiddink once again created a sensation, bringing PSV to the semi-finals of the 2004-2005 Champions League. Speaking of Hiddink's luck. I propose a game - in the course of my story I will note cases of his luck and bad luck, and you decide for yourself whether he is really lucky.

So, the first semi-final match against Milan ended in a 2-0 victory for the Italians. In the second leg at home, PSV managed to close this gap, and everything went to extra time. But in the first added minute, Massimo Ambrosini still managed to score a goal. In the remaining time, Philippe Cocu hit the gates of Milan for the third time, but this did not save PSV.

Holland national team

1994 – 1998, 2014-2015

After failures with Fenerbahce and Valencia, Guus Hiddink received an offer to lead the Dutch team, which was going through better times. However, a good generation was growing up among the Dutch, and a coach was needed who would be able to give results with this team.

At Euro 1996, the Dutch were eliminated from the quarter-final stage, losing to France on penalties. However, the team was still damp, its hour was to come to an end.

And this hour has come - at that World Cup the Dutch team demonstrated best football, confidently taking first place in the group, and beating the strong teams of Yugoslavia and Argentina in the playoffs. The semi-final with the reigning world champions Brazilians, which became a real decoration of the tournament, ended in a 1-1 draw, and the Brazilian football players more accurately performed the penalty.

And how do you like Guus Hiddink's "luck" - relegation from two major tournaments in a row as a result of football roulette?

As I said above, under the leadership of Hiddink, the Dutch could not overcome the qualifying barrier for the European Championship in 2016. Towards the end of his career, the Maestro noticeably passed. I understand that the Dutch national team now has perhaps the worst generation of footballers in the last half century, but letting the teams of the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey go ahead, despite the fact that the Czechs and Turks are also going through hard times, is a clear overkill.

"Real Madrid

1998 – 1999

But back to the late 90s. Immediately after the French World Cup, Guus Hiddink headed Real Madrid. In principle, this page in his career could be omitted, but work in the "royal" club, whatever its results, should be noted.

At the time of Hiddink's arrival, Real Madrid were the reigning Champions League winners, but Barcelona owned the league title, and the Dutchman had the task of returning him to the Santiago Bernabeu. Plus, of course, a successful performance in the Champions League.

However, by February, the gap in the championship from the Catalans was 11 points, and Hiddink was fired from his post as head coach of Real Madrid. The only trophy he managed to win was the Intercontinental Cup.

South Korea national team

2001-2002

Hiddink spent another year in Spain, coaching Betis, after which he led the South Korean national team. The South Koreans hosted the World Cup (together with Japan) and they needed a coach who could solve the problem of getting out of the group (before that, the South Koreans made it to the finals of the World Cup five times, and invariably left the tournament after the first round).

I must say that Guus Hiddink thoroughly approached the mission entrusted to him. Realizing that his wards had few trump cards, he took up something that could be thoroughly improved - physical readiness.

Three months before the start of the championship, South Korean footballers began a focused preparation for the tournament - a case that has no analogues in the history of football! Nutritionists, masseurs, special fitness trainers all worked towards the same goal.

And, I must say, it was achieved. The way the South Koreans played the first five matches of the tournament was to be seen - non-stop movement, acceleration, jerking and struggle. Such a game even gave rise to a joke that Hiddink, they say, changes all field players during the break - anyway, for Europeans, all Koreans look the same.

Jokes aside, but the result - victories over the national teams of Portugal, Italy and Spain, and reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup was impressive. “Yes, there was help from the referees,” experienced fans will remember. Yes, there was, and about this.

But there was something else too. It was 0:1 in the 1/8 final match against Italy, when Hiddink threw more and more forwards on the field, brought their number to five, which eventually allowed the score to be equalized. Did the judges beat the penalty for the players of the Spanish national team in the quarterfinals?

So Hiddink gave a result, and this result has surpassed even bold expectations and is unlikely to be repeated in the foreseeable future.

Australian national team

2005 – 2006

They decided to use the South Korean experience in Australia. The national team of this country for a long time smashed its rivals in Oceania (this was before the Australians moved to the Asian Football Confederation), but invariably lost in play-offs to representatives South America. A specific goal was set for the Dutch specialist - to lead the team to the final part of the World Cup.

And Hiddink coped with this task. The national teams of Australia and Uruguay in the play-offs exchanged home victories with a score of 1:0, and the Australians won on penalties. How else? After all, they were led by "lucky" Hiddink.

In the final part of the championship, the Australian team started the match with Japan and was losing 0:1 until the 84th minute. However, then the substitutions made by Hiddink played - a double of Tim Cahill and John Aloisi brought the Australians their first victory in the world championships. Losing to the Brazilian team and drawing with Croatia, the Australian team reached the playoffs, where they met with the Italian team.

Most of the second half, the Australians played in the majority, but already in stoppage time, the Spanish referee Luis Medina Contalejo "invented" a penalty, which he converted.

Again, the discrepancy with the image of "lucky Hiddink." But in the quarterfinals, the winner of this pair was waiting for the Ukrainian team, which was quite tough for the "golden generation" of Australian football.

Russian team

2006-2010

While still a coach of the Australian national team, Guus Hiddink signed a contract with the Russian Football Union, becoming the first foreign coach in the history of the Russian national team. I spoke in detail about his activities in this post in the article "", I see no reason to repeat myself, I will focus on the main merits of the Dutchman.

First, as in the case of South Korea, Hiddink immediately decided on the concept of the team's game. Realizing that our players are few technically superior, he relied on speed, significantly rejuvenating the team. At the same time, the Dutchman had to, as they say, cut to the quick, refusing the services of smart, technical, not far from fast players - Dmitry Loskov. Vladislav Radimov, and a little later - Yegor Titov.

Secondly, he expanded the circle of candidates for the national team. Under Hiddink, the players saw that in order to get into the national team you need to play football well, and no matter where you do it. Pavel Pogrebnyak, for example, was called up to the national team from the provincial Tom.

Thirdly, the Dutch specialist's "unblurred" view allowed him to make seemingly paradoxical decisions, which, nevertheless, gave results, such as the use of Yuri Zhirkov as a defender.

In the end, after several painful matches, we finally saw how the Russian team plays football. The apotheosis of the qualifying tournament for Euro 2008 was a home victory over the England team, when Roman Pavlyuchenko, who had been replaced by the Dutchman, turned the course of the unsuccessful match for us.

But the Russian football players behaved in their "best" traditions, losing away to Israel, which had already lost its chances. Now we had to count on the guest victory of the Croatian national team, which had already secured a place in the group, over the British. This time luck was on the side of Hiddink and Russia - the Croats won and we went to the European Championship.

It still remains the brightest page in its history. Hiddink once again proved himself a master of preparing the team for a short tournament. In the quarterfinals, our team knocked out the compatriots of their head coach, the Dutch, from the tournament. Then Hiddink at the pre-match press conference said:

"I don't mind being the traitor."

These words were remembered to him for a long time at home, although Hus himself apologized, saying that the word "betrayal" was inappropriate in this situation.

But the most important, in my opinion, the merit of Hiddink as coach of the Russian national team is that we, the fans, finally believed in the team, that the Russian team can play football. This was especially evident in the qualifying round of the 2010 World Cup, when our team competed with the German national team. As a result, we lost both matches to the Germans and took second place in the group, but I remember this feeling “We can!” well.

And in the "Maribor shame", I believe, the fault lies entirely with the players. All Russian fans should thank Gus Ivanovich, as we called him, for the first time we saw the Russian team play (and win) in the playoffs of a major tournament.

Chelsea

In the middle of the 2008-2009 season, Luis Felipe Scolari was fired from the post of head coach of Chelsea and Roman Abramovich offered Hiddink to lead the team until the end of the season. The Dutchman worked with the Russian national team, but the RFU gave the go-ahead to combine posts, since it was Abramovich who provided the financial side of the contract of the Russian Football Union with the Dutchman.

With Chelsea, Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup, and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, where, on aggregate (0:0 away and 1:1 at home), he lost to Barcelona in one of the most scandalous confrontations of recent times. Remember when the Norwegian referee Erik Hauge missed four (some even counted six) penalties against the Catalans.

What, put a plus sign in the column "bad luck"?

End of career

After that, Hiddink worked with Anji Makhachkala and the Turkish national team, but without much success, and ended his career at Chelsea, where he served as head coach in 2016 after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho.

Titles of Guus Hiddink

1. Six-time Dutch champion.
2. Four-time winner of the Dutch Cup.
3. Dutch Super Cup winner.
4. FA Cup Winner.
5. Winner of the European Champions Cup.
6. Winner of the Intercontinental Cup.
7. Fourth place at the World Championships - 2 times.
8. Bronze medalist of the European Championship.

Family and personal life of Guus Hiddink

Guus Hiddink lived with his official wife, Ine Bemkes, for 30 years, and now he maintains only friendly relations, although formally their marriage has not broken up (divorce in Holland is quite an expensive pleasure). Gus and Ine have two adult sons, Mark and Michael.

Hiddink lives with a Dutchwoman of Surinamese origin Elizabeth Pinas, whom he met during his work in South Korea.

• Throughout his career as a football player, Guus Hiddink has not won a single trophy.
• Guus Hiddink has an honorary sports title"Honored Coach of Russia".
• After the success of the Russian national team at Euro 2008, Guus Hiddink gained immense popularity in our country, children were even named after him. And in the Crimea, a monument to Guus Hiddink was opened, and they did it even before the quarterfinal match with the Dutch.
• The popularity of Hus received a response from comedians - the Comedy Club showed the country skits "Guus Hiddink and his translator" and "Guus Hiddink after his release", and in the "Big Difference" program they performed "Guus Hiddink's Song".
• And in Russia, a documentary film was made about him, which is called: “Hiddink. Gus Ivanovich.

• But that's nothing compared to South Korea. For his success at the World Cup, Gus received the title of Honorary Citizen of this country, a luxurious villa on one of the islands, the right to free travel in all South Korean cities, and free flights on planes of two South Korean airlines. A stadium in the city of Gwangju was also named after him, and the most zealous fans urged Hiddink to run for president.
• In addition to his native language, Guus Hiddink speaks English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and can also speak South Korean, Japanese and Russian.
• Being the coach of Real Madrid, Guus Hiddink promised to shave off his mustache if the club won the Intercontinental Cup, and he kept his promise.
• In September 2006, Guus Hiddink was found guilty of tax evasion. In the Netherlands, a court sentenced him to a fine of 45,000 euros and 6 months of probation.

Well, at the end of my story, I propose to estimate the balance of Guus Hiddink's luck and answer the question, what was the key to his success - luck or skill? I answered this question a long time ago and unequivocally - skill.

After all, one bare luck in coaching will not go far.

Guus Hiddink is an outstanding Dutch coach who has experience in many strong clubs Europe and several national teams, including...

Guus Hiddink: biography, career, personal life

By Masterweb

16.04.2018 22:01

Guus Hiddink is an outstanding Dutch coach who has experience in many strong clubs in Europe and several national teams, including the Russian national team. He stands out from other mentors with his extraordinary tactical arrangements with an emphasis on the individual skill of each player individually.

Biography

Guus Hiddink was born on November 8, 1946 in the Netherlands, in the town of Warsseveld. He grew up in a large family of teachers. As a child, his main passion was football. G. Hiddink devoted all his free time while being able to help their parents.

Guus Hiddink began his playing career in early age in the city club "Varsseveld", where he was assigned to the position of midfielder. After leaving school, he was enrolled in the Central Institute of Sports Mentors in Overveen, where he was one of the best students and graduated with a red diploma in 1966.

Professional career

After the institute, Guus Hiddink signed a contract with football club"De Graafschap" from Doetinchem, while also coaching a team for children who are behind in development. He stayed as a children's mentor until 1984, combining this work with the professional activities of a football player.

In 1969, the football player helped De Graafschap reach the first division of the Dutch championship, after which he moved to the Washington Diplomats from the North American football league. Later, Guus Hiddink signed a contract with the San Jose Earthquakes, and some time later he played for the NEK club from Nijmenhem. Gus in 1981 was accepted with honors back to De Grafschap, in which he ended his football career a few years later. On account of Guus Hiddink as a player 500 matches and 80 goals in 15 years of work.

coaching work

Since 1981, after returning to De Grafschap, Guus Hiddink has been an assistant coach. He moved to the same position in 1984 at PSV, where he was promoted to head coach in 1987. Under him, the most titled Dutch club won the Dutch championship three times and the Dutch Cup three times, and also in 1988 took possession of the European Cup (later reformed into the UEFA Champions League). In 1990, Gus signed an agreement with the Turkish club Fenerbahce, and the following year he was already the head coach in Spanish team"Valencia".

In 1995, he received an invitation to lead the Netherlands national team. In 1998, the World Cup was held in France, where the Dutch team took fourth place in a hard struggle, losing in the match for third place to Croatia.

After the World Cup, Guus Hiddink headed Real Madrid, with whom he soon took the Intercontinental Cup. But due to disagreements with the club's management in 2000, he had to go first to Real Betis, and six months later to the South Korean national team. What seemed like a regression to all skeptics, in fact, turned out to be the most correct decision for the coach. In 2002, at the World Cup, held in South Korea, under the mentorship of Guus Hiddink, the national team came in fourth place, which is still the country's highest football achievement.

After this success, the mentor returns to work at PSV, where in 4 years he helps the club win three more national championships, one Cup and one Dutch Super Cup each.

In 2005, Gus was invited to the Australian team, which led them to the 1/8 finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where they lost to the eventual winner, the Italian national team, in the very end of the match due to a highly controversial penalty.

At the personal request of Roman Abramovich, he was appointed head coach of the Russian national football team in 2006. The mentor's salary was about 7 million euros. Together with the Russian national team, Guus Hiddink created a sensation at Euro 2008. In the heavy group, Russia advanced to the playoffs from second place, which led the team in the quarterfinals to one of the favorites of the tournament - the Netherlands. But Guus Hiddink found the necessary tactical arrangement, and his team won with a score of 3:1. This caused rejoicing throughout the country. Despite the fact that Spain defeated Russia in the semi-finals, national team led by Gus shared third place with Turkey. But since the coach failed to bring the national team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the coach announced the end of work with the team.

After that, he signed for Chelsea, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2009. G. Hiddink left the post after the defeat in the Champions League semi-finals from Barcelona.

In 2010, the Turkish Football Federation agreed with Guus Hiddink to work with his national team. He was faced with the task of reaching Euro 2012, but the team did not win the play-offs with Croatia and missed this tournament. Guus Hiddink announced his retirement immediately after his absence.

Then he signed a contract with Anji, which, under his leadership, took third place in the Russian Championship.

After that, Guus Hiddink's career began to decline. First, he failed to bring the Dutch national team to Euro 2016, then he failed the season at Chelsea, the team took only tenth place in the English Championship.

Life after coaching career

Now Guus Hiddink lives and works in the USA. He is an analyst for Fox Sports USA.

He meets with the Dutch citizen Elizabeth Pinas, who is several decades younger than him.

Kievyan street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255

Guus Hiddink is a Dutch coach and football player who coached the national teams of Russia, the Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, and South Korea. Gus was born on November 8, 1946 in the Dutch city of Warsseveld in a large family of two teachers Gerrit and Jo, in which five more sons were brought up: Wim, Hans, Rene, Arnold and Karel. The boy from childhood became interested in football, while he managed to help his parents with household chores. Gus learned to milk a cow and handle horses.

In his youth, he began his football career at the local club Varseveld, where Hiddink played as a midfielder. After school, he entered the Central Institute of Sports Mentors in the city of Overveen, from which he graduated with honors in 1966.

Football

Hiddink began his sports biography as a professional football player. In 1967, Hus signed an agreement with football team Dutinchem club "De Graafschap", while remaining the coach of the youth team of a special school for children lagging behind in development. Gus worked as a school teacher until 1984. Soon the midfielder was entrusted with the duties of an assistant mentor to the main team.

In 1969, the club from Doetinham won the second league tournament and received a place in the first division. After ten years at De Graafschap, Gus became a player in the North American Football League's Washington Diplomats and San Jose Earthquakes, and also played for the NEC Nijmegen club. In 1981 he returned to De Graafschap for two years. Guus Hiddink's achievements as a midfielder are 500 matches and 80 goals scored in a 15-year career.

coaching career

Hiddink officially began his coaching career in 1981 at Doetinchem. In 1984, he moved to PSV, where since 1987 he received the position of head coach. Led by Hiddink, the team became the champion of the Netherlands three times and the winner of the Dutch Cup three times. In 1988 the club won the European Cup. In 1990, Gus received an invitation to coaching from the Istanbul club Fenerbahce, and a year later he became the head coach of the Spanish Valencia.

In 1995, Hiddink returned to his homeland and headed the national team. Under the leadership of the head coach, the team finished fourth at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. From the same year, the coach led Real Madrid, which immediately won the Intercontinental Cup. But the president of the club pursued his own interests and lobbied certain players, which went against the policy of Hiddink.

Long disputes forced the coach to move to Betis a year later, and leave Spain a year later. Leading the South Korean national team, Gus led the team to fourth place in the 2002 World Cup, which was the biggest achievement for the national team of all time.

In 2002, Hiddink returned to the Netherlands and took over the PSV team for four years. Under Guus Hiddink, the club's players became the first in the national tournament three times, won the Cup and the Dutch Supercup. Working in Holland, the coach held technical consultations with the South Korean Football Association. In 2005, the coach took over the Australian team, which immediately reached the final of the World Cup.

In 2006, Guus Hiddink, on the initiative, was invited to lead the Russian national team. The contract, under which Hiddink's salary was 7 million euros per year, was signed for 4 seasons. The coach worked with the players on a schedule that included periodic departures of the Dutchman to his homeland. In Russia, Hiddink was warmly treated, many football fans called the national team coach "Hiddink Gus Ivanovich". Photos of the coach of the Russian national team were printed on flags, souvenirs, posters, gift matryoshkas.

In 2008 Russian team sensationally took third place in the European Championship, losing to Spain with a score of 3:0.

Guus Hiddink at Chelsea

After the return of the players to their homeland, a program was organized with their participation, in which artists from the Comedy Club, the Fabrika group performed. IN qualifying competition at the 2010 World Cup, the team was defeated, and Guus Hiddink left the post of head coach.

In 2009, in addition to working in Russia, Hiddink oversaw English club Chelsea and led him to first place in the FA Cup.

Guus Hiddink - Main coach"Anji"

In 2010, Gus took over as the head coach of the Turkish national team, two years later he moved to the Dagestan club Anji, which he helped to win third place in the Russian Cup. Since 2014, he has led the Netherlands national team for two years.

Personal life

In the mid-60s, Guus Hiddink married the same age as Ina Bemkes, who gave the football player two sons - Michael (born 1969) and Mark (born 1972).

In the 2000s, the coach began to officially meet with the girl Elizabeth Pinas, his junior by several decades. Hus remained on friendly terms with his first wife, but he never married Elizabeth, but simply calls her a friend.

Guus Hiddink now

For several years, the coach has been on a well-deserved rest, but he constantly monitors the events taking place in the world of football. Now Guus Hiddink works as an expert on sports channel Fox Sport USA. In 2017, on the instructions of the channel, he visited the Confederations Cup, in connection with which he arrived in St. Petersburg.

In an interview with the Russian media, Guus Hiddink spoke positively about the command staff of the Russian national team that performed at the Confederations Cup tournament in Russia, and also wished the women's team success at the European Championship. In his free time from football, Gus visited a cancer center for children.

Achievements

• Six-time Eredivisie champion
• Four-time Dutch Cup winner
• European Cup Winner - 1987
• Club "Real Madrid" - winner of the Intercontinental Cup - 1998
• The fourth place of the Netherlands team at the World Cup - 1998
• Fourth place of the South Korean team at the World Cup - 2002
• Dutch Supercup Winner - 2003
• Third place of the Russian team at the European Championship - 2008
• Chelsea Club - Winner of the FA Cup - 2009