The Turkish Football Federation have announced they have parted company with national team coach Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman was appointed in August 2010 with the aim of qualifying for Euro 2012 but failed in his objective, after Croatia proved to be too much of an obstacle in the playoffs with a 3-0 aggregate win. “After negotiations between Guus Hiddink and the Turkish Football Federation’s board of directors, an agreement has…
Coach Guus Hiddink has taken full responsibility for Turkey’s 3-0 home defeat to Croatia in the first leg of their Euro 2012 playoff. Hiddink and his team were booed off by a half-empty Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul as Croatia strolled to victory, and the Dutchman accepts that he was at fault for Friday’s crushing defeat. “I am responsible for the results. The players have to execute things properly, but…
Chelsea manager Andres Villas-Boas has vowed to bring Champions League glory to Stamford Bridge. Roman Abramovich is determined to witness Chelsea lift the Champions League trophy under his ownership after seeing Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti all fail. The Blues came closest to being crowned kings of Europe under Grant when they reached the final in 2008, only to be defeated on penalties…
Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is excited by the dawn of a new era at the club under Portuguese manager Andre Villas-Boas. Previous Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was unceremoniously dumped at the end of last season after finishing second in the Barclays Premier League, and failing to make any headway in the club’s quest for the UEFA Champions League. While there was much speculation over who would take over at…
So now Carlo Ancelotti can fulfil his ambition to manage Roma, the club he captained for eight happy years and to which he has always said he would return one day. The end of his time at Chelsea surely arrived here, in the form of a defeat far more conclusive than the single-goal margin might suggest. For the genial Italian a midweek trip to the Eternal City is likely to…
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has earmarked former Blues boss Guus Hiddink as the man to replace under-fire boss Carlo Ancelotti in the summer. The Russian oligarch believes he can persuade the current Turkey coach to return to Stamford Bridge following his successful stint in 2009, when he replaced the outgoing Luiz Felipe Scolari before leading the side to FA Cup glory. Hiddink remains a favourite with several Chelsea players including…
The mandarins who serve Roman Abramovich at Chelsea say there are two sides to the Russian billionaire. There is the pragmatist; the man who believes in strategy and planning – then there is the emotional Abramovich; the man who acts on instinct, often in direct conflict to the original plan. They say that, with Abramovich, you always have to prepare for the illogical. At the time they thought it utterly…
We always knew this day would come. Manchester United, like any major other organisation would, is preparing for the day that Sir Alex Ferguson retires by putting together a short list of candidates to succeed the great man. It is no great secret that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire in the not too distant future. After a career that has, thus far, spanned 53 years the sands of time are…