Hiddink returns as Chelsea boss following Mourinho dismissal
Published:
Lee Gormley | December 17, 2015
Hiddink returns to Chelsea role
Dutchman Guus Hiddink has returned to Chelsea for his second spell in charge of the club, having agreed to take over until the end of this current campaign, following the recent sacking of Jose Mourinho.
The 69-year-old takes up the north London hotseat despite Juande Ramos having been previously tipped to secure the role, but the former Russia and Netherlands manager will now return to the Stamford Bridge dugout for a second time in his career and is 9/1 with Coral to oversee a miraculous top four finish.
After discussions between club owner Roman Abromovich and the Chelsea board, Mourinho’s second stint in charge came to and end, as he was dismissed following a seriously poor start to the Premier League campaign, as the Blues sit dangerously close to relegation places in 16th position.
Hiddink holds previous Blues success
Hiddink is already well known around Stamford Bridge, having helped the club lift the FA Cup in 2009, after being drafted in as caretaker manager to clean up the mess left by Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari. Such an appointment will now allow Chelsea’s hierarchy to begin working on a long-term Mourinho successor, if it isn’t Hiddink of course.
With Champions League qualification for next season looking increasingly unlikely, after dropping to within touching distance of the domestic drop zone and drawing PSG in the competition’s knockout stages this term, attracting a high-profile coach will be difficult.
Who is the long-term target?
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to decline a contract extension in Germany, but his most likely destination is to Manchester City, while Carlo Ancelotti may not be keen on another spell in London after his time with Real Madrid was ended this year.
In the short-term, Hiddink still has a mammoth job to undertake in familiar surroundings, with the players struggling severely to recapture a glimpse of the form which made them champions last term, and they are 9/4 for a top six finish.
Having already secured silverware success with Chelsea back in 2009, Hiddink arrives for his next stint with much to do, following his own managerial credentials taking a knock from a failed second Netherlands spell ending this year, but he must swiftly halt the blues in north London.
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