Guus Hiddink will leave as coach of Russia's national team when his
contract expires on June 30, raising the prospect of him taking a
job, with a number of suitors at club and national level.
Hiddink guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European
Championships but the team fell short of qualifying for this year's
World Cup.
Hiddink wrote in a Dutch newspaper column that he had spoken
with new Russian federation president Sergei Fursenko and "it was
decided that we will part ways after the expiration of my contract
on June 30."
"We decided this now in order to give the federation enough
time to look for a successor," he wrote in De Telegraaf.
The 63-year-old Dutchman did not mention future plans but has
been linked with major clubs in Europe and even with taking up a
job at short notice coaching one of the teams at the World Cup.
Hiddink was reportedly in the running for jobs at Juventus
and Liverpool, while he also has close links to Chelsea owner Roman
Abramovich and coached the team on an interim basis last season,
winning England's F.A. Cup.
There had also been reports that Hiddink was being lined up
by Nigeria to lead the team at the World Cup.
He has previously coached clubs such as Real Madrid and PSV
Eindhoven, and national teams including the Netherlands, South
Korea and Australia.
