By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 16 – Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovich has stepped in to pay the remaining 95 million rubles (£2 million/$3 million) salary of former Russian coach Guus Hiddink to avoid a damaging legal action which could have overshadowed the country’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
The National Football Academy, which is bankrolled by Abramovich, settled the remainder of Hiddink’s contract after his agent Kees Van Nyuvenheyzen had threatened to sue the Russian Football Union (RFU) because he had not been paid in 2010.
Russia failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa after they were knocked out in the playoff by Slovenia last November.
Abramovich had been paying Hiddink’s wages following his appointment as Russian coach in April 2006 but had stopped at the end of last year.
Hiddink claimed that he was still entitled to his share of the $2.4 million (£1.5 million) a year salary and bonuses that he still had to be paid - even though he oversaw only one match in 2010, a 1-1 draw with Hungary – under the terms of his contract, which officially ended on June 30.
Sergei Kapkov of the NFA claimed that the matter was now settled after Abramovich, who remains close to Hiddink following his brief but successful spell as caretaker manager at Chelsea last year, agreed to settle the debt.
“There will be no dispute with the coach,” he said.
Hiddink has since been appointed as the coach of Turkey and been replaced by countryman Dick Advocaat, who was formerly in charge of Zenit St. Petersburg.
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