The Australian national football team has hired its former Dutch coach Guus Hiddink to help him prepare for the 2022 World Cup, according to what was announced on Monday by the local football association.
Hiddink, who brought Australia back to the World Cup after a 32-year absence, brought them to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they reached the final price, taking on the task of assistant coach Graham Arnold in the last World Cup preparation match. The Australian team at home against neighboring New Zealand on 22 September ahead of the final. A world first in the Middle East.
Hiddink will return after retiring from coaching to help Arnold in this match due to the absence of the latter’s assistant, fellow Dutchman René Mehlenstein at the time, as he was in Europe to follow Australia’s Group D rivals defending French and Danes. commands.
The 75-year-old Dutch coach said he was “happy to go there (Australia) because I talk to people from time to time about my career and always focus on my experience with the Soqueros,” referring to the Australian title. that Hiddink managed 13 games between 2005 and 2006 in which he won 8, compared to two draws and three losses.
He continued, “This chapter in my career has given me a lot of energy. I met very nice and very open people, and I really liked it.”
In addition to two spells as Chelsea interim manager, Hiddink has managed Spanish giants Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Spanish side Valencia during his long coaching career, as well as coaching the Netherlands, Russia and Turkey national teams.
But his lead of the South Korean team at the 2002 World Cup to the semi-finals of the world final may be his most outstanding achievement.
It is noteworthy that the World Cup in Qatar will be held from November 20 to December 18, as the Australians will open their fifth consecutive participation in the final and the sixth in their history against France on November 22, before meeting with Tunisia on November 26 and Denmark on November 22. thirty.
Source: AFP.