Translated material
Thinking about the future
Guus Hiddink has agreed to extend his contract
Guus Hiddink remains at the head of the Russian national football team for another two years . Yesterday, the President of the Russian Football Union Vitaly Mutko and the Dutch coach officially announced an agreement to extend the contract until 2010. The agreement itself will be signed later, after consultation with lawyers. Its financial parameters are also unknown. According to previous conditions, Hiddink’s salary in Russia was 2 million euros per year and was paid by the National Academy of Football (NAF) foundation, founded by Roman Abramovich.Yesterday, Abramovich's fund did not say who would secure Hiddink's new contract. But earlier Vitaly Mutko made it clear that he was looking for alternative sources of financing for the expensive agreement of the Dutch coach. In particular, the Gazprom company was mentioned. But the details of the agreement will be announced only after October 17, when the Russian team will play with the England team. “Specialists are now working on the details of the contract. “It will be signed soon,” Mutko explained the delay.
Hiddink has no doubt about it. “They were all interested in one question: will I remain in the national team after 2008,” the Dutchman explained his reluctance to communicate with the press in recent days. - Now I can officially announce: we have come to an agreement on further cooperation, which I am very happy about. I think this is a very wise decision. I like that the RFU is thinking about the future.”
The RFU thought about the future right on the eve of the decisive match of the Russian national team in the qualifying round of the European Championship. In the event of a defeat or even a draw on October 17 in the meeting with the British, the Russians will lose any real chance of making it to the final part of the 2008 European Championship, and Hiddink will immediately be able to begin preparing the team for the qualifying tournament of the 2010 World Cup.
Now the likelihood that the Dutchman will leave Russia and move to Chelsea with Roman Abramovich is small. Unless, of course, the RFU specialists studying the contract leave the possibility of combining posts there.