Guss Hiddink has announced his retirement after almost 40 years on the bench. A goodbye that has been marked by the coronavirus. The 74-year-old Dutch coach was the coach of Curaçao (an autonomous country of the Netherlands that is located in the Caribbean) when he became infected during the first half of the year. “I have not been active lately because of covid-19. Yesterday I spoke with the president of Curaçao and we came to the conclusion that, as the national team is entering a new trajectory, it is better that I leave it, so I am going to stop altogether “, has explained in an SBS 6 program.
Hiddink closes his stage on the bench as coach of Curaçao, a country where he landed last year and with which he has only played two games. Behind leaves a long career where His time at PSV stands out, in which he won the European Cup in the 87/88 season, as well as 11 titles between leagues, cups and super cups. The Dutchman also went through the Premier League, where he won the FA Cup with Chelsea.
He also left his mark on Spanish football, after passing through Valencia, Betis and Real Madrid. Although he only spent half a season with the capital's team, there he won the Intercontinental in the 98/99 season, the other international trophy he raised in his career.
The Dutchman not only coached clubs. Over four decades he led the Netherlands (in two stages), South Korea, Australia, Russia, Turkey, the lower ranks of China and Curaçao. Although he did not win any titles with them, he did achieve good results, such as the 2002 World Cup semi-finals with South Korea.
After almost 40 years, his first coaching experience at De Graafschap in the Netherlands is long gone. The same team with which he made his professional debut as a player, and the one that also saw him hang up his boots.
Kluivert, his substitute in Curaçao
When Hiddink caught the coronavirus, Patrick Kluivert was commissioned to replace him as interim coach. However, the Dutchman has not been able to meet the objective of trying to qualify the country for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after the defeat against Panama. They are not going to play the Gold Cup either.