Hiddink reveals Chelsea job offer

Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 29 March 2009 )

English Premier League football News

Hiddink reveals Chelsea job offer
Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink has revealed that he may stay with the club beyond the end of this season - but in the role of a consultant.

The Dutchman, who is also Russia's national team coach, has a contract with the Premier League side which runs until the end of May.

He said: "They have asked me to continue working for them after that date as a consultant.

"Maybe I can be useful for Chelsea in that role."

Chelsea players Michael Ballack and Petr Cech have publicly urged the club to extend Hiddink's stay after seven wins from his first eight games in charge.

And one potential barrier to Hiddink remaining at Stamford Bridge in some capacity appears to have been removed after a key figure in the Russian Football Association claimed he was happy for him to continue his dual role.

Alexey Sorokin, the general secretary of the Russian FA, told the Daily Mail: "If Chelsea say they would like to continue we are ready to discuss it.

"We are comfortable with the situation. We would be uncomfortable if it were a Russian club because when a coach comes from a Russian club to the national team he tends to look after his players more than the players from other clubs. But there is no such contradiction here.

"If Hiddink says he can handle it, we have no reasons not to believe it. He is a responsible person with a lot of experience and if he takes that responsibility he will perform for certain."

Last week, Hiddink said his contract as Russia coach could end early should they fail to make the 2010 World Cup.

He had previously insisted he had no plans to stay on at Stamford Bridge, but if Russia do not make it to the tournament in South Africa, he may become free for a role beyond consultancy.

"We put a clause in there saying that, if Russia do not qualify, we can talk about leaving," said Hiddink.

"My contract expires at the period of 2010 World Cup. But we also said that if we don't qualify and the Russian Federation likes to go in a different direction, then we have to talk about how to end the contract.

"We could go on, still. It would be up to them if they want to go in a different direction. I've not thought about it. I'll be here until the end of May."

Russia are currently second in Uefa Group Four, four points behind Germany having played a game less.

While the winners of each group will qualify for the World Cup automatically, the eight best runners-up will contest two-legged play-offs for Europe's remaining four places.

Hiddink's record in the World Cup is impressive, having lead the Netherlands and South Korea to the semi-final stages in 1998 and 2002 and steering Australia to the knock-out stages in Germany four years ago.

Since taking charge of Russia in 2006, he has moulded the team into one of the strongest in Europe, overseeing their qualification ahead of England for the Euro 2008 and an impressive last-four showing in the finals in Austria and Switzerland. by bbcnews.