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Euro 2008 to be another test for Hiddink's luck

Russia's Roman Pavlyuchenko, right, and Serbia's Slobodan Rajkovic challenge for the ball during their Euro 2008 warmup match in Burghausen, Germany, on Wednesday. PHOTO: AP

Russia can approach Euro 2008 in a confident frame of mind as in Guus Hiddink they possess one of the most sought after international coaches in the world.

The 61-year-old Dutchman believes Russia has a realistic chance of advancing to the knockout stages after being drawn in Group D along with reigning champions Greece, Spain and Sweden.

“We should not expect any easy matches at the championships, but we will do our utmost and maybe produce some surprises there,” Hiddink said.

“We are definitely not the favorites in our group. The Spaniards and the Swedes are, while the Greeks will do their best to retain their title,” he said.

“I have almost determined the team’s line-up. Just two or three positions are still up for grabs. But I will announce the squad just before the deadline,” Hiddink said.

Born in the small rural Dutch town of Wisch on Nov. 8, 1946, Hiddink was a moderate player but has since accrued an impressive set of trophies as a manager with a variety of clubs.

He guided PSV Eindhoven to six Dutch titles and four national cups along with the Dutch Supercup in 2003.

In the European arena, he won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven in 1988 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1998, also turning around the fortunes of several underachieving national teams.

He led the Netherlands to the 1998 World Cup semi-finals before even more astonishingly repeating the feat with co-hosts South Korea in 2002.

The Dutchman also guided Australia into the last 16 at the 2006 World Cup in Germany where they somewhat unluckily lost to eventual winners Italy.

After that Hiddink became the eighth national coach of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the first-ever foreign manager of the country’s national side.

“I’m an ambitious coach and I want to be successful here in Russia,” Hiddink declared soon after taking over.

The Dutchman confirmed his words and gave further proof of his reputation of being a lucky coach by taking Russia into the Euro 2008 finals, finishing second in Group E — one point ahead of England.

Hiddink, who was linked to the England job at one point when Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson stepped down after the 2006 World Cup, might be seen as a gun for hire but he is always his own man and brooks no argument with anyone, even if they happen to be his employers.

“I took over the Russian team to win,” Hiddink said. “Of course I can be flexible but I will do it my way. I came here to be in charge and not to follow anybody’s instructions.”
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