The Hindu : South Korea hails Hiddink

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

South Korea hails Hiddink

Seoul July 2. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Seoul on Tuesday to pay tribute to Guus Hiddink and the South Korean football team as the Dutch coach confirmed that he would return to Europe.

Hiddink sat at the front of the parade in an open top car waving a South Korean flag and with a Red Devils supporters scarf tied around his arm as adoring fans, including tens of thousands of teenaged girls, screamed and waved.

The team--including top stars Ahn Jung-Hwan and captain Hong Myung-Bo -- were relegated to a bus following the limousine as crowds along the route chanted ``Hiddink, Hiddink, Hiddink.''

The players have become national heroes and Hiddink the most popular foreigner in South Korea's history after the Red Devils became the first Asian team to reach the World Cup semifinals.

Korean Football Association (KFA) president Chung Mong- Joon, the country's main World Cup organiser, put flowers around Hiddink's neck as the parade stopped at City Hall plaza.

Confetti poured out of the windows of Seoul skyscrapers as the motorcade moved to the Gyeongbok palace where President Kim Dae-Jung was to make Hiddink the country's first honorary citizen.

But despite the stunning success in the World Cup, the Dutchman told reporters that he was in talks for a return to his former club PSV Eindhoven.

``Nothing has been decided yet. The main negotiations are with Eindhoven which asked about my intentions before the World Cup.

``Several clubs are interested and I am going to the Netherlands next week,'' he said. British news reports have also linked Hiddink to the vacancy at English Premiership side Leeds United.

``The next challenge for me will be with a European club where I can work every day but I would like to maintain relations with South Korea. I would like to continue working for the development of Korean football.''

The national squad will be reorganised for the Olympics in 2004 and the next World Cup in 2006 and Hiddink said he would like to be a technical advisor with the national team or younger players, or help develop the Korean league.

``I am discussing with the Korean Football Association how to maintain relations. The period I had with the Korean squad was very precious for me.

AFP

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