Hiddink: I can combine club and country
Reuters - Tuesday 31 May 2011, 14:50
ISTANBUL - Turkey coach Guus Hiddink
heightened speculation of a possible return to Premier League
Chelsea when he said he would prefer the tempo of a club role to
a national coaching job in an interview published on Tuesday.
Dutchman Hiddink, who had a successful five-month stint in
charge of Chelsea two years ago, is one of the favourites to
take over from Italian Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked this month.
Hiddink, whose Turkey side face Belgium in a crucial Euro
2012 qualifier on Friday, said he felt energetic at the age of
65 and had been very happy in the past when he coached national
and club sides at the same time.
"I feel energetic, so a club role is more preferable. And
that's what I like, working every day. I feel I need to do
more," he said in an interview with the Turkish daily Haberturk.
"I've trained Australia and PSV at the same time, as well as
Russia and Chelsea, and I was very happy. We'll see what happens
with Turkey."
Turkey are third in Group A, one point behind Belgium and
six points behind leaders Germany, and a loss on Friday would
jeopardise their chances of competing at Euro 2012. Turkish
media reports have said Hiddink could be sacked if the team fail
to qualify for the finals.
Hiddink said he had not received any official offers from
any club sides.
"There is no official offer yet, but I can't guarantee
anything. I haven't told the chairman (Turkish Football
Federation chairman Mahmut Ozgener) what I thought yet. But he's
an intelligent man. I am sure he follows the world media,"
Hiddink said.
He said his Turkey contract was valid for another year.
"I never told anybody I was going to continue working here.
The team is focused on me, I would affect the team negatively if
I answered the speculation," he said.