Guus Hiddink facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Guus Hiddink

Hiddink in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1946-11-08) 8 November 1946 (age 78)
Place of birth	Varsseveld, Netherlands
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
	SC Varsseveld
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1967–1970	De Graafschap
1970–1972	PSV Eindhoven	30	(1)
1972–1977	De Graafschap	130	(9)
1977–1981	NEC Nijmegen	104	(2)
1978	→ Washington Diplomats (loan)	13	(4)
1980	→ San Jose Earthquakes (loan)	15	(0)
1981–1982	De Graafschap	25	(0)
Total		317	(16)
Teams managed
1983–1987	PSV (assistant)
1987–1990	PSV
1990–1991	Fenerbahçe
1991–1993	Valencia
1994	Valencia
1995–1998	Netherlands
1998–1999	Real Madrid
2000	Real Betis
2001–2002	South Korea
2002–2006	PSV
2005–2006	Australia
2006–2010	Russia
2009	Chelsea (interim)
2010–2011	Turkey
2012–2013	Anzhi Makhachkala
2014–2015	Netherlands
2015–2016	Chelsea (interim)
2018–2019	China U21
2020–2021	Curaçao
2021–2022	Curaçao (technical director)
2022	Australia (assistant)
Honours Men's football Representing  Russia (as manager) UEFA European Championship Bronze 2008 Austria–Switzerland
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Guus Hiddink (born 8 November 1946) is a famous Dutch former football manager and player. He had a long career playing as a midfielder in his home country, the Netherlands. After he stopped playing in 1982, Hiddink became a manager. He led many different clubs and national teams around the world to win important titles and achieve great things.

With PSV Eindhoven, he won the European Champions Cup, which was the top club competition back then. He also won the Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid.

Playing Career: Guus Hiddink's Start in Football

Guus Hiddink was born in Varsseveld, Netherlands. He began his football journey in the youth team of an amateur club called SC Varsseveld. He became a professional player when he joined the Dutch club De Graafschap in 1967.

Hiddink played for De Graafschap under manager Piet de Visser. In 1973, Hiddink and de Visser helped their team get promoted to the Eredivisie. This is the highest football league in the Netherlands.

Hiddink spent most of his playing time at De Graafschap. He even played three years under de Visser there. He still supports the club today. He joined PSV in 1970. However, he didn't get a regular spot on the team. So, he went back to De Graafschap after just one year and stayed until 1977. He rejoined De Graafschap again in 1981 and stopped playing football a year later. During his playing days, he usually played as a midfielder.

Managerial Career: Guus Hiddink's Coaching Journey

Early Club Success: Leading PSV Eindhoven

Guus Hiddink in 1988 as manager of PSV.

Hiddink (right) and Hans van Breukelen (left) holding the European Cup on arrival at Eindhoven Airport

Guus Hiddink started as an assistant manager, learning coaching skills. He became the main manager at PSV Eindhoven in March 1987. He had been an assistant manager for the club since 1983.

When Hiddink took over, PSV was three points behind Ajax with ten games left. But PSV managed to win the championship by six points!

At PSV, Hiddink led the team to win their first-ever European Cup in 1988. This was a huge achievement, as they also won the league and cup that year (a "Treble"). This success made PSV one of the top three football clubs in the Netherlands. The other two are Ajax and Feyenoord.

He also won three Eredivisie titles with PSV between 1987 and 1990. A player named Berry van Aerle, who played for Hiddink, said: "Hiddink will never take all the credit for himself. He always includes his staff. That creates a strong team spirit."

Overall, Hiddink's PSV team won three league titles in a row. They also won three KNVB Cups in a row. The biggest win was the European Cup in their historic Treble-winning season of 1987–88.

Hiddink also coached the Turkish club Fenerbahçe in 1990. He was let go after one year. Later, he joined the Spanish club Valencia.

Leading the Netherlands National Team

Hiddink faced a big challenge when he became manager of the Netherlands national team on 1 January 1995. This team had many talented players. However, they often had arguments and disagreements among themselves.

Hiddink used a 4–4–2 tactic. This meant using wingers supported by central midfielders. This helped defensive midfielders like Philip Cocu and Edgar Davids score goals. Hiddink was strict with the team. For example, at UEFA Euro 1996, Edgar Davids was sent home after an argument with Hiddink. The team reached the quarter-finals in that tournament.

He managed to stop further arguments in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. His team played some of the most exciting football there. They beat Argentina 2–1 in the quarter-finals. Then, they lost to Brazil on penalties in the semi-final. The team finished in fourth place. After this, Hiddink resigned as the Netherlands coach. He then became manager of the Spanish club Real Madrid.

Coaching Real Madrid and Real Betis

Guus Hiddink became manager of the Spanish La Liga team Real Madrid in the summer of 1998. He replaced Jupp Heynckes. But the team didn't do well in the league. Also, Hiddink made comments about the club's board and money issues. Because of this, he was fired in February 1999.

Hiddink then took over at another Spanish club, Real Betis, in 2000 for the rest of the season. His time at Real Betis also ended badly, and he was sacked by May 2000.

In the summer of 2000, there were many rumors about where he would go next. The Scottish club Celtic was mentioned. But he really wanted to manage another national team going to the World Cup. So, he agreed to coach the South Korea national team starting 1 January 2001.

South Korea's World Cup Miracle

Hiddink became manager of South Korea in January 2001. Success was not easy at first. The team had been in five World Cups in a row but had never won a single match. South Korea was co-hosting the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Japan. Both countries were expected to reach the second round. Hiddink's team was expected to meet this standard.

The Guuseum in Varsseveld. It is a museum set up in his honor.

Hiddink faced a lot of criticism from the South Korean media in his first year. He was often seen with his girlfriend when some thought he should be working on the team. After a 2–1 loss to the United States in January 2002, he was criticized again. However, the team he built worked well together. Hiddink then focused on making players physically fit for the World Cup.

At the World Cup, Hiddink's team won their first-ever tournament match. They beat Poland 2–0 in the group stage. After a 1–1 draw with the U.S. and a 1–0 win against a strong Portugal team, South Korea moved to the second round.

Their next opponents were Italy. South Korea surprised everyone by winning 2–1 with a "golden goal" from Ahn Jung-hwan. The Korean public started to dream of reaching the semi-finals. This dream came true after another upset, this time against Spain, which they won on penalties in the quarter-final. This was a bigger achievement than North Korea's in the 1966 World Cup, when they beat Italy to reach the quarter-finals.

South Korea's amazing journey ended after Germany won 1–0 in the semi-finals. Just like the Dutch team four years earlier, Hiddink led his team to fourth place. They lost 3–2 to Turkey in the third-place match.

Before the tournament, no one expected South Korea to do so well. Many people in South Korea were thrilled with reaching the semi-finals. Hiddink became the first person ever to be given honorary South Korean citizenship. He also received other gifts. These included a private villa on Jeju-do island, free flights for life, and free taxi rides. The Gwangju World Cup Stadium in Gwangju was even renamed Guus Hiddink Stadium in his honor. His hometown of Varsseveld became a popular place for South Koreans to visit. His relatives even set up a "Guuseum" there in his honor.

Return to PSV Eindhoven

Hiddink chose to go back to his home country. He became the coach of PSV Eindhoven again in 2002. During his second time with PSV, Hiddink won three Dutch league titles (2002–03, 2004–05, and 2005–06). He also won the 2005 Dutch Cup and the 2003 Dutch Super Cup.

In Europe, PSV reached the semi-final of the Champions League in 2004–05. This was the first time PSV had reached this stage since the tournament changed its format in 1992–93. (PSV had won the European Cup, the old version of the Champions League, in 1988 with Hiddink as coach). PSV just barely lost the semi-final to Milan on away goals.

In the 2005–06 Champions League season, PSV got through the group stage. But they were knocked out in the first knockout round. This was partly because they had lost five of their starting players to other clubs. This time at PSV made Hiddink the most successful Dutch coach ever. He won six Dutch League titles and four Dutch Cups. This broke the record of Rinus Michels. Hiddink left the club in June 2006.

Coaching Australia's Socceroos

On 22 July 2005, Hiddink became manager of the Australia national team. He announced that he would manage both PSV and Australia at the same time.

In the play-offs against Uruguay in November 2005, both teams won their home games 1–0. Australia then won 4–2 on penalties. This was the first time Australia had qualified for the World Cup finals in 32 years! It was also the first time any team qualified by winning a penalty shoot-out.

Hiddink was very popular in Australia. People lovingly called him "Aussie Guus." Fans would even chant "Goooooooooooos!" during games. Slogans for the 2006 World Cup included "No Guus, No Glory" and "In Guus We Trust." His reputation grew because he greatly improved Australia's defense. He turned a team that let in many goals into a strong defensive unit.

The Socceroos beat Japan 3–1 in their first game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Tim Cahill scored two goals, and John Aloisi scored one, all in the last eight minutes. These were Australia's first-ever World Cup goals and victory.

Australia then lost 2–0 to Brazil. This meant the Socceroos needed at least a draw against Croatia in their last group match. They needed this to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time. The game ended 2–2, with Harry Kewell scoring to tie the game. This draw sent the Socceroos through!

In the second round, Italy beat Australia 1–0. The referee made a controversial decision, giving Italy a penalty kick just seconds before the end of normal time. Francesco Totti scored the penalty. This knocked Australia out of the World Cup. It also marked the end of Hiddink's time as Australia's national coach.

Managing Russia's National Team

On 10 April 2006, Hiddink announced he would become manager of the Russia national team. He signed a two-year contract. His work with Russia began after he finished managing Australia at the 2006 World Cup.

Russia's chances for Euro 2008 qualification seemed uncertain after a 2–1 loss to Israel. However, after a win against Andorra, and England losing to Croatia, Russia and Hiddink secured their spot in Euro 2008. At the tournament, the Russian team reached the semi-finals. They beat the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and defending champions Greece in the group stage.

In November 2009, Russia lost to Slovenia in a 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off. This made their future goals unclear. On 13 February 2010, it was confirmed that Hiddink would leave his position when his contract ended on 30 June.

Hiddink managing the Russia national team

Interim Manager at Chelsea

After Chelsea's manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, was fired in the 2008–09 Premier League season, Chelsea confirmed Hiddink would take over. This was on 11 February 2009. He would manage until the end of the season, while still coaching Russia.

Hiddink's first game for Chelsea was a 1–0 win against Aston Villa. His first home game at Stamford Bridge was a 1–0 victory over Juventus in the Champions League. Success continued with a 3–1 win against Liverpool. Commentators said Hiddink had brought new energy to Chelsea.

Hiddink led Chelsea to the semi-finals of the Champions League. They were knocked out by Barcelona on the away goals rule. Barcelona scored a goal in the 93rd minute of a 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge. The first leg was 0–0.

Hiddink only lost one game during his time as Chelsea manager. This was a 1–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Even if he had won every league game, it wouldn't have been enough to win the Premier League title. In Chelsea's last home game of the season, fans chanted Hiddink's name. They wanted the owner to sign him permanently. Hiddink's positive welcome showed how much Chelsea fans liked him. He finished his Premier League time with a 3–2 win over Sunderland.

In his last game as Chelsea's interim coach, he won the 2009 FA Cup. They beat Everton 2–1 at Wembley. He was very happy about winning the Cup. He said it was one of his biggest achievements. Even though players like John Terry asked him to stay, Hiddink always said he would return to Russia. As a goodbye gift, the Chelsea players gave him an engraved watch and a signed shirt.

Coaching Turkey's National Team

On 16 February 2010, Guus Hiddink agreed to coach the Turkey national team. This would happen after his contract with Russia ended on 30 June 2010. His contract with Turkey started on 1 August 2010.

On 11 August 2010, Turkey beat Romania 2–0 in a friendly game. Hiddink resigned after Turkey failed to qualify for Euro 2012. They lost 3–0 on total score to Croatia in the play-offs.

Anzhi Makhachkala: A Club Challenge

On 17 February 2012, Hiddink agreed to an 18-month deal to manage the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. This was his first permanent club job in six years. In his second season, he led the team to a bronze medal in the Russian Premier League. Anzhi also reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League for the first time.

He announced his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season on 28 November 2012. However, he later changed his mind. On 11 June 2013, Hiddink decided to extend his contract at Anzhi for one more year. But after just two games into the 2013–14 Russian Premier League season, he unexpectedly resigned on 22 July 2013. He said he left because he had completed his mission to help Anzhi develop so it could progress without him.

Second Time with the Netherlands National Team

On 28 March 2014, it was announced that Hiddink would return to manage the Dutch national team. This would happen after Louis van Gaal stepped down following the 2014 World Cup. Hiddink agreed to manage the team until UEFA Euro 2016. Danny Blind and Ruud van Nistelrooy would assist him. Blind was planned to replace him later.

His second time in charge began with a 2–0 loss to Italy in a friendly game. Five days later, the Dutch team started their UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. They lost 2–1 to the Czech Republic. They then had a 3–1 win against Kazakhstan. A month later, they lost 2–0 to Iceland.

The year 2015 began with a match against Turkey, which ended in a 1–1 draw. On 29 June 2015, Hiddink left his position. Two days later, his assistant, Danny Blind, took over. For a long time, it was unclear if Hiddink was fired or left on his own. But on 21 November 2015, he said he was fired from the job.

Another Interim Role at Chelsea

On 19 December 2015, Hiddink was appointed first-team manager of English club Chelsea. This was until the end of the 2015–16 season. He took over after José Mourinho was dismissed. He joined the club in the same temporary role he had in 2009.

After becoming interim manager, Hiddink said he was "excited to return to Stamford Bridge." He also said he looked forward to working with the players and staff. He especially wanted to renew his "wonderful relationship with the Chelsea fans." After a home draw against Stoke City, Hiddink set a new record. He had the longest unbeaten streak as a new manager in the Premier League with 12 games without a loss.

Chelsea finished the season in tenth place in the Premier League. They climbed six positions from 16th place, where they were when Hiddink arrived.

Coaching China's Under-21 Team

On 10 September 2018, Hiddink took over the China under-21 national team. However, he was fired in September 2019 after a series of disappointing results. This included a 2–0 defeat against the Vietnam under-22 men's team. Interestingly, the coach of the Vietnamese team was Park Hang-seo. He had been an assistant coach for South Korea's national team in the 2002 World Cup under Hiddink.

Curaçao and Retirement

On 21 August 2020, Hiddink was appointed manager of the Curaçao national team.

He was unable to lead the nation to 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. Then, Hiddink got COVID-19 in 2021. This led to Patrick Kluivert stepping in as interim manager. On 9 September 2021, Hiddink officially stepped down as head coach of Curaçao. He also announced his retirement from managing at the age of 74.

Hiddink did come out of retirement briefly to help his former assistant, Graham Arnold. This was for Australia's two friendly games against New Zealand. Hiddink was on the Australian bench for their 1–0 win in Brisbane on September 22, 2022. He was also there for the game in Auckland three days later.

Managerial Statistics: Guus Hiddink's Coaching Record

Honours and Awards: Guus Hiddink's Achievements

As a Player

De Graafschap

• Tweede Divisie: 1969

San Jose Earthquakes

• North American Soccer League Southern Division: runner-up 1977

As a Manager

PSV Eindhoven

• Eredivisie: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
• KNVB Cup: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 2004–05
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 2003
• European Cup: 1987–88

Netherlands

• FIFA World Cup Fourth place: 1998

Real Madrid

• Intercontinental Cup: 1998

South Korea

• FIFA World Cup Fourth place: 2002

Russia

• UEFA European Championship Semi-finalist: 2008

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 2008–09

Individual Awards

• Order of Sport Merit: Cheongnyong Medal
• AFC Coach of the Year: 2002
• World Soccer World Manager of the Year: 2002
• Dutch Sports Coach of the Year (all sports): 2002, 2005
• Rinus Michels Award: 2005, 2006
• Coach of the Year in Russia: 2008
• In 2005, Hiddink received an honorary doctorate from the University of Seoul.
• The De Graafschap mascot is named Guus in honor of Hiddink.
• The Gwangju World Cup Stadium was renamed the Guus Hiddink Stadium in his honor.
• Hiddink was named an Honorary Citizen of South Korea.
• Hiddink was named an honorary citizen of Seoul.
• Hiddink was named an honorary citizen of Eindhoven.
• Hiddink was put on a stamp by Australia Post after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
• Hiddink received a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Dutch Football Association in 2007.
• Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009

See also

In Spanish: Guus Hiddink para niños

• List of FA Cup winning managers