April 27 – Guus Hiddink has led a delegation from the Netherlands and Belgium bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup to South Korea, where he is still considered a national hero after leading the national team to third place at the tournament in 2002.
Hiddink is part of a high-powered, which also includes the bid’s co-chairman Michael Van Praag, on a three-day visit to Korea to promote the two European nations’ joint efforts to host the world’s top football tournament.
Hiddink claimed that the Netherlands and Belgium could learn from 2002 when the World Cup was co-hosted for the first time in the event’s history between Japan and South Korea.
He said: ”Worldwide, it made an impression.
“It was not over-organised.
“It was a very peaceful World Cup which needs a lot of organisation and that’s why I think the Dutch team can learn.”
During their visit, the bid team will meet with FIFA vice-president Dr Chung Mong-Joon and its star-studded entourage of former Belgian and Dutch international players, including Pierre van Hooijdonk and Jean-Marie Pfaff, is scheduled to play a match against a group of Korean legends, including 2002 captain Hong Myung-bo, at Seoul World Cup Stadium tomorrow.
Van Praag said: ”Korea has already been a successful organiser of such a tournament together with Japan and we would like to see if we can learn something from them.
“They are also candidates for 2022 so, maybe, there is some mutual interest and some mutual cooperation that could be possible.”
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