GUUS HIDDINK

Born in 1946

Coached by Dutch club De Graafshap and PSV Eindhoven, the Turkish club Fenerbahce, the Spanish club Valencia, Real Madrid and Real Betis Sevilla, teams of Holland and South Korea.

After the 2002 World Cup named Dutch coach Guus Hiddink in South Korea called the streets and stadiums after its installed monuments and seriously discussed the idea to nominate candidates for the Dutchmen in the presidency. More popular than he, a man in the country was not, and the whole world is talking about perhaps the Home sensation championship - no one expected that the national team of South Korea will take fourth place, beating on the way to him eminent team of Portugal, Italy and Spain. Prior to this brilliant achievement of the Dutch coach, who led the South Korean national team, faded and even somehow forgot all his past achievements. But on account of Hiddink and had already had many wonderful bright victories.

Hiddink started about the same as Sir Alex Ferguson and other prominent coaches - not too successful player in the modest club. He was born in a small Dutch town of Varsevelde near the border with Germany in twenty-one debut in the club "De Graafshap. Here and took almost his entire football career. One season, though, Hiddink spent eminent PSV Eindhoven, but then returned to De Graafshap.

Already in the thirty-one years Hiddink moved to the "Nijmegen, where he spent only one season. Then two years went to the United States of America and played in clubs in Washington diplomats "and" San Jose erskueyks. Retired in thirty-five years, having played one more year in the "Nijmegen".

Guus Hiddink coaching career began in his native De Graafshape "as player-assistant coach. In 1983 he was invited to PSV Eindhoven second coach. 4 years later, Hiddink became the head coach of the Eindhoven club, and immediately began his meteoric rise.

Just a year coaching debut Hiddink's PSV Eindhoven left one of the most brilliant of his players - Ruud Gullit, who joined AC Milan.

Photo — «Guus Hiddink»

But the young coach was able to rally the remaining players in his first season led the club to the championship. Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven and was in the next, in 1988, and later in 1989. Since 1988 three times in a row won the Cup of the Netherlands. As the highest achievement Hiddink during this period of his coaching career was winning the European Cup in 1988. PSV Eindhoven won the final match of the Portuguese Benfica, though only in the penalty shoot-out.

Since Guus Hiddink has become one of the most respected and popular coach of Holland and gained European fame. Since 1990, he worked at the Turkish club Fenerbahce, and then in the Spanish Valencia. In 1995 he led the Dutch team and preparing it for the 1998 World Cup in France.

Speech by the Dutch team at the World Cup has become the most successful for the previous twenty years. In a match of one-eighth of the final "orange" team beat Yugoslavia - 2:1. In the quarter-finals - Argentina national team in this match the stunning goal was scored by Dennis Bergkamp, catching nogoy ball sent to him by Frank de Boer almost out of his penalty area, and one-touch transport it into the goal. Only in the semifinals, where the Dutch did not concede the Brazilians to the game, they lost on penalties.

In the same 1998 Guus Hiddink has won an important victory at club level. After the World Cup, he led Real Madrid, and almost immediately won the "Royal Club" Intercontinental Cup, winning the Tokyo Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. Then Hiddink coached the Spanish Real Betis, and finally, in 2001, led by South Korean national team to prepare it for the world championship in 2002.

This team, participating in the four previous World Cups, has not won a single victory, achieving only a few draws. The highest achievement was her third place in the group tournament of the championship in 1994 in the United States of America. But the 2002 World Cup held in South Korea and Japan, and therefore the main task for Hiddink set by the South Korean soccer federation, was out of the group.

Photo — «Guus Hiddink»

There was also a second problem - to do better than the team in Japan, the second "housewife" championship.

Players of high class Korean team did not have, although some players played for European clubs. Striker Seoul Ki-hyun, for example, in the Belgian "Anderlhete, midfielder Ahn Jung Hwan - in Italian" Perugia ". Hiddink had to establish a collective game, paying special attention to defense, and, most importantly, to bring the team to the peak shape for the most championships, and in all aspects at once - physical, moral, tactical, strategic.

In early May 2002 Hiddink announced his team, and soon held a friendly match with Scotland. To the surprise of many, to the delight of the whole country, he won with a score of 4:1. However, major surprises Hiddink were ahead.

Sensation broke out in the first match of group tournament qualifier against Poland. Showing a well-organized, modern, fast football with unexpected moves, the team of South Korea beat Poland's national team - 2:0. It was the first "historic" win the South Koreans at the world championships.

In the next match against the USA was a draw - 1:1. But the decisive was the match against Portugal. Portuguese to exit the group needed a win, the team Hiddink suit even draw. However, the goal scored in the second half, brought her the victory. Korea Republic squad not just left to the next round, but won first place in the group.

This alone made the Dutch coach in the eyes of the whole country as a hero. His popularity has reached incredible heights, when the match one-eighth of the final team of South Korea, losing in the first half, 0:1, in the second scored two goals against the Italian team and advanced to the quarterfinals. In addition, Japan's national team at this stage the team lost to Turkey and dropped out of the competition. Thus, Guus Hiddink has already decided the two tasks assigned to it by the South Korean Football Federation.

Photo — «Guus Hiddink»

Match against Spain turned out to be tense and nervous. In the second half, the Spaniards twice hit the gates of South Koreans, but the judge will not count the goals, determining offside position. " The main and extra time ended in a draw - 0:0. In the shoot-out competition, not only skill but also nerves, or rather were wards of Hiddink - 5:3.

What happened in South Korea after this victory, it is difficult to describe. Dutch coach was not just a national hero and god, who raised the national team on football Olympus. If he managed to win the semifinal match and, perhaps, in his honor would have started to build temples.

And I must say, in a semifinal team in South Korea in no way inferior to the German national team. The only goal was omitted only in the second half. Was lost and the match for third place team in Turkey - South Korean football, finishing 4 th place, exhausted its possibilities. And Guus Hiddink has done everything he could.

The solution of the outstanding coach to leave after the championship as coach of South Korea, although he offered fabulous contracts, many seem surprising. But he himself in one interview explained it this way: "Of course, it was great to see this explosion of joy and inspiration and experience it together with the entire nation. But as they say, need to be able to leave on time. In the course of the last four or five weeks in Korea I just could not go out - for this I was too famous. In addition, the actual practical work as a coach I would have to wait until 2005, ie before the next qualifying round of the World Cup. And finally, thirdly, I have already been linked with the promise of "Eindhoven".

Currently (2004) Guus Hiddink again heads PSV Eindhoven.