© EuroFootball.com
Einhdoven's coach Guus Hiddink on Friday became the head coach of the Australian national football team, replacing Frank Farina, who stepped down at the end of June after unsuccessful Confederations Cup matches for Australia.
This news was not unexpected, as on Wednesday while visiting South Korea, G. Hiddink told journalists that he intended to help Australia qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"Guus Hiddink is the best possible option in the current situation. We hope that he will bring success to the team in the qualifiers and, hopefully, in the final tournament of the 2006 World Cup in Germany," said the president of the Australian Football Federation, F. Lowy, on Friday.
"His career is impressive, and his achievements speak for themselves. We could not have hoped for a more qualified and internationally recognized coach who would lead us to the World Cup," said F. Lowy.
The past season was very successful for the 58-year-old coach from the Netherlands. He won the Dutch championship, the Dutch Cup, and in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, he lost to AC Milan in a tough match.
Previously, G. Hiddink has led two national teams - the Netherlands and South Korea - to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 and 2002 respectively. At the club level, the Dutchman has coached Real Madrid.
