Wanted: Hiddink
Roman Abramovich has stopped funding Guus Hiddink’s
£6.25million-a-year after-tax salary — and the Russia boss has been
told he is free to find another job.
The Chelsea owner had been picking up the bill in full through
donations from his
National Academy of Football (NAF) to the Russian FA.
But last night it emerged that the agreement ended at the turn
of the year and NAF boss Sergey Kapkov was relaxed about reports
that Hiddink was being lined up to take over at Juventus.
‘He is free to take any decision,’ said Kapkov. The
cash-strapped Russian FA would be prepared to let Hiddink join Juve
or return to Chelsea as their technical director if he took a pay
cut on the rest of his contract, which runs until July.
The Dutchman had been offered a two-year extension to stay in
his post up to Euro 2012, but the Russian FA would find it almost
impossible to pay his wages without the help of Abramovich help at
a time when they are also funding a bid to host the 2018 or 2022
World Cup.