Hiddink tight-lipped on future

Guus Hiddink will take time to reflect on his future, after Russia were denied a place at the World Cup finals by Slovenia, before deciding if he will return to club management.

GettyImages

Guus Hiddink: Questions about next move

• Hiddink a wanted man
• Slovenia 1-0 Russia

The Dutchman has been constantly linked with a return the Premier League following his successful rescue act as temporary manager of Chelsea last season.

Hiddink's current contract with the Russian FA expires in 2010, but following Sbornaya's failure to reach the World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia in Maribor on Wednesday night his future is once again in the spotlight. Although the former Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven manager is remaining tight-lipped.

He said: "I have an existing contract until the end of the World Cup finals in July 2010. The question [of whether I will continue to Euro 2012] will require some time for thought.

"Before the matches with Germany and Slovenia the Russian Football Association (RFS) expressed their desire to continue working together. But we'll talk about the future at a later stage."

Hiddink took over as coach in 2006 and guided Russia through a difficult qualifying group involving England and Croatia to an historic semi-final place at the 2008 European Championship.

But having enjoyed varying degrees of success at World Cup finals with Holland, Australia and South Korea, failure to qualify on this occasion with Russia will prove an unwelcome blot an otherwise illustrious record for the 63-year-old.