Hiddink: No chance of Turkey job share
Reuters - Monday 15 March 2010, 16:56
ISTANBUL - Guus Hiddink has vowed to
focus fully on his new role as Turkey coach, ruling out a
similar job share to the one he experienced with Russia and
Chelsea last year.
"I'm fully committed to Turkish football and to the Turkish
Federation," the Dutchman told a news conference on Monday.
"Regarding your question that I could do another job with
another club together with the federation, there is no way to do
so."
Hiddink spent a short spell in charge of Chelsea in 2009 but
always stressed that his involvement with the English Premier
League club would only be brief because of his full-time
commitment to the Russian Federation.
The Dutchman said Turkey's future was bright even though
they failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa which
starts in June.
"I think the future of Turkish football will be very
healthy," said Hiddink before adding his first task was to
qualify for Euro 2012.
Russia failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup under
Hiddink and his last game in charge was a 1-1 friendly draw in
Hungary earlier this month.
Turkish Football Federation chairman Mahmut Ozgener said the
Dutchman was the right man for the job.
ENDLESS CONFIDENCE
"We will work for stable success in the new period, hand in
hand with the new technical director (coach). Our confidence in
him is endless," said Ozgener.
"Our restructuring process has been completed. The people
who we believe can best realise this new model are now in
place."
Turkey's performances have been varied in recent years.
They reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and Euro
2008 but also failed to qualify for finals in 2004, 2006 and
again this year.
Hiddink is one of the most respected coaches in world
soccer.
He led Russia to the semi-finals at Euro 2008 and took
Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 before
repeating the feat with co-hosts South Korea in the 2002
edition.
Hiddink also helped an unfancied Australia to reach the
knockout stage in 2006 and had a brief spell in Turkey in 1990
coaching Fenerbahce.
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