Guus Hiddink will leave his post as trainer of the Russian national football team when his current contract expires in June, the Dutch soccer coach revealed on Saturday in De Telegraaf.
The long-expected news came as a footnote in his weekly column for the Dutch newspaper, and follows discussions with the new president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), Sergei Fursenko, in Moscow on February 4.
"Finally, a word about my future as coach of the Russian national soccer team," Hiddink wrote at the end of his column. "After a very pleasant conversation with the new [RFU] president, it was decided that we will part ways after the expiration of my contract on June 30."
Hiddink said the decision had been made now to give the RFU time to appoint a successor before qualifying begins for the Euro 2014 tournament in Ukraine and Poland.
The Dutchman has been credited with performing wonders with the Russia team, guiding them to Euro 2008 after being drawn with Croatia, England and Israel, and then wowing the crowds with an attacking style of football that took the Russians to the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Spain.
But the writing was on the wall after his side failed to get to this summer's World Cup in South Africa, losing a home-and-away qualifier against Slovenia in November on away goals despite leading the first leg in Moscow 2-0 with minutes to go.
Former RFU chief and current Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said on Wednesday that Russia's football coach should be homegrown.
"I am in favor of Russian-born coaches, people who understand our way of thinking," Mutko said.
Despite his Euro 2008 success, Hiddink was criticized throughout the World Cup qualifying campaign for spending too little time in Russia and being out of touch with the domestic game.
He has reportedly been courted by several countries and teams since the loss to Slovenia, and impressed while filling in as temporary coach of Roman Abramovich's Chelsea at the end of last season, combining that job with his Russia responsibilities.
The Russian billionaire paid Hiddink's salary, believed to be in the region of $8 million a year, though his National Football Academy in Russia, but an RFU official said in January that the arrangement had come to an end.
Hiddink has been linked with Nigeria and Turkey, as well as Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus, but has remained tight-lipped on the subject, saying only that it would be wrong to coach another team at the World Cup having failed to get there with Russia.
MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti)
