Guus Hiddink has dismissed suggestions he could continue as Chelsea manager next season while also seeking to guide Russia to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
The Dutchman is combining the two roles at the moment but maintains he will leave Chelsea after the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30 rather than continue to do both jobs until he knows whether Russia have reached the finals.
“It’s important this relationship I have with the Russia players,” he said on Tuesday. “Because, even on a practical level, it’s impossible to do. In August we have a friendly game which is 48 hours before a Chelsea game.
“Then you have to look at all the Russian players ahead of the qualifiers in September, and there are more qualifiers in October.
“Hopefully not in November, but there is a possibility of a play-off. So I’ll be very occupied with all that.
“I know the body of the squad – so scouting isn’t the main issue, but I’ve challenged them and it wouldn’t be fair for me to leave.
“There is this project I started to renew with my people. It would not be fair with the players who I challenged to go into a new era of football if I said: ‘Sorry, I’m leaving’.”
Hiddink has revitalised Chelsea since arriving as temporary manager in February and he led them into Wednesday’s Premier League match against FA Cup final opponents Everton hoping to keep the club’s bid for a trophy treble on track.
“We have the attitude in the club, even in training sessions, that we want to win,” Hiddink added. “So, what I try to say, is that tomorrow’s game we want to win as well.
“What’s coming up at the end of May, at that time we will see. We still take these games seriously, even though we have the Champions League and the FA Cup coming up.
“The league is very serious for us. As long as it’s possible for us, then we go on. The pressure is more on Liverpool than us in terms of Manchester United and the title.
“Mathematically it’s possible. In February we had to make sure we qualified for next year’s Champions League, but you cannot just be satisfied with that being such a big club.
“Everybody has done what is expected of him, so you push your targets higher. We are doing that. If you’d told us in February that we’d be playing in the FA Cup final on May 30, people would have raised eyebrows.”
Chelsea will be without injured Portuguese international duo Deco and Jose Bosingwa for the Everton match.
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