Hiddink hopeful of weaving magic
Guus Hiddink has built his career on upsetting the odds, but leading China to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would rank among his biggest accomplishments.
The Dutchman was appointed head coach of the nation’s under-21 squad by the Chinese Football Association in September, and the man who famously defied the naysayers to take South Korea to a World Cup semifinal and PSV Eindhoven to a European Cup triumph has no illusions regarding the enormity of the task facing him.
“It’s a challenge for me, of course, because I know soccer in China is in a developing state,” Hiddink said on Monday at the U-21s’ autumn training camp in the Netherlands.
“We knew and the CFA knew that this is a difficult road to go, but why not try? Yes, we can sit back and be scared. Just let everyone be competitive.
“We know the level we have so far, but we have to go to a higher level. And we have to go to scout for other players who are available and can do the job even better.”
Hiddink’s first game at the helm — a 5-1 friendly loss to Dutch top-flight side Vitesse Arnhem last Tuesday — gave him plenty to mull over.
“There’s still a big gap,” said Hiddink. “We knew there is a big difference between European teams and our team. They asked if we can play with our first team and I said perfect, so we can see what the differences are between our players individually and players from Vitesse.
“We are going to make our team stronger and stronger. Other players are coming in. In the very near future we can see which candidates are available and have the quality.”
Aside from playing as host in 2008, China’s only other appearance in the men’s Olympic tournament was at the 1988 Games in Seoul.
China kicks off its qualification campaign in March, with places up for grabs at the Asian U-23 Championship in January 2020, when the continent’s three Olympic representatives will be decided.
That leaves little room for procrastination by former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Hiddink, whose resume also includes senior international experience with Australia, Russia, Turkey and the Netherlands.
“I’d like to go on this adventure. I’ve been in many clubs and worked with many federations. There has been always challenges. Hopefully, I still want to be energetic and give them the best,” added the 71-year-old.
China has invested heavily in soccer and has been busy tailoring its rules and regulations to encourage and nurture young talent.
Last week, the CFA announced plans to launch a U-23 pro league for clubs in the country’s top three tiers.
Earlier this month, 55 of the nation’s best under-25 players were whisked off to a military-style training camp in Shandong province, which is due to end in December, while foreign player transfers costing 45 million yuan ($7 million) or more are subject to a levy which is invested in a youth development fund.
Hiddink reckons the CFA is on the right track with such policies.
“I think the CFA made some really good rules regarding the foreign players, the club investment and youth education,” he said.
“The development of youth is very important, also the development of young coaches is very important.
“For me, I like to work with young people. What I can do with my knowledge and experience, I want to contribute.
“All of a sudden, a miracle could happen, but I hope it could be a consequence of hard work and smart work. That’s how we can have the miracle of qualification. We have to invest a lot — and that’s all part of soccer.”
Guus Hiddink,