Guus Hiddink to maintain 'unofficial' link at Chelsea even if Carlo Ancelotti joins

15 May 2009 21:46
The desire to hire the Milan coach as the next manager has not diminished at Chelsea who firmly believe that, despite public utterances and denials, Ancelotti will honour the pre-contract agreement he is understood to have signed several weeks ago. Some hurdles still need to be crossed, even if there have been informed suggestions that the 49-year-old would step down following Milan's Serie A match at Udinese tonight should his side win and seal qualification for next season's Champions League. Chelsea are aware of complications in Ancelotti's life and also, more immediately, the doubts over Milan's future with talk yesterday that owner Silvio Berlusconi might be close to agreeing a deal to sell 35 per cent of the club to Middle East investors. If the ownership of Milan is up in the air then it would explain, along with the usual political machinations associated with the Rossoneri, why Ancelotti's future has become such a sensitive subject. And then there is also the issue of whether the coach walks out with compensation or whether Milan demand money from Chelsea. Ancelotti described as "fantasy" suggestions that he was discussing transfers with Chelsea and told a sports website owned by Berlusconi that he expected "nothing will happen" over his future this weekend. Instead he stuck to the line that everything would be discussed when the season ended on May 31. Neatly, that date is the day after Chelsea's final match of their campaign, the FA Cup final against Everton. Hiddink said he hoped to depart with a "bit of silverware" to add to the way people had "appreciated the way Chelsea have promoted themselves through their performances" since his arrival in February. There were regrets, Hiddink admitted, that he had given such binding assurances that he would step down and return to his role as Russia coach. "I don't deny that," he said. "But I know also my full-hearted obligations. I will miss the daily work and the bigger problems with the players to get them right. I don't deny that I'll miss that." However, Hiddink confirmed he would not completely sever his involvement – although Chelsea are acutely aware that the new manager, especially one with the pedigree of Ancelotti, would not want the Dutchman too visible in the background. "Unofficially, I will keep my connection with the club," Hiddink said. "By supporting them, by coming to visit every now and then. Not in an official capacity. I'm not the kind of person to put a cloud on the club or the team. I like to have contact every now and again, but just as a tourist. Whoever my successor is can and must work very independently. He will be a big manager, of course." Chelsea, who face Blackburn Rovers tomorrow in their final home league match, are still waiting to hear from Uefa what charges they and their players will face following last week's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. Hiddink admitted that he had been left "exhausted" by what happened, which had made him difficult to talk to. "I didn't want anyone coming near," he said. "For two days even normal questions drew a reaction from me." At the same time, and despite that draining intensity, he did not rule out a return to club management in the Premier League once his involvement with Russia ended. "I feel still very energetic to be involved on a daily basis," Hiddink, 62, said.

Source: Telegraph