Is former Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink in danger of falling into obscurity?

After resigning from a second stint as the head of the Dutch team in less than a year, Guus Hiddink is now in managerial limbo. Reportedly turning down an offer to join the staff at Leicester City, one of football’s great strategic minds is in danger of going out on a sour note.

Although the Netherlands have had better finishes at the tournament, it was arguably the 1998 World Cup run under Hiddink that was the most convincing since the ‘totaalvoetbal’ era. Infamously known for the egotistical battles that occur within the camp, a team that featured the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Phillip Cocu and Patrick Kluivert at their peak dazzled the onlookers in France, heartbreakingly, yet somewhat typically crashing out in a penalty shootout to the hosts. .

In the decade following France ’98 Hiddink established himself as a managerial magician, almost able to find success and adoration with any club or international team.

In what was a historic 2002 World Cup held over two countries (and one which the Netherlands failed to qualify for), Hiddink took co-hosts South Korea to an almost unimaginable semi-final finish, recording victories over the likes of Portugal, Italy and Spain, before narrow defeats to Germany in the final four and Turkey in the Third Place play-off. The achievement would see the Dutchman elevated to near god-like status across South Korea in the following years, and culminated with him being named the AFC Coach of the Year for 2002.

However, there is one moment in history that will forever keep Hiddink synonymous with the sport, in this country especially, overseeing the turning point in modern Australian football and what could almost be considered a miracle in terms of the international game, when after over 30-years the Socceroos booked a place in a FIFA World Cup.

2006 in Germany was a true defying of the odds occasion for Australia, winning their opening game of the tournament against now-fierce rivals Japan 3-1, with goals from Tim Cahill and John Aloisi all coming inside a heart-stopping last 10 minutes. After a 2-0 defeat to Brazil followed, a 2-2 draw against Croatia was enough to see the Socceroos survive the group stage. Despite the controversial, and crushing, 1-0 round of 16 exit at the hands of eventual champions Italy, history had been created and for the second World Cup in a row, the Dutch coach was heralded as a genius.

At the domestic level, Hiddink’s time at the helm has brought silverware to the cabinets at Real Madrid and Chelsea, yet It is the grounds of the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven where he has recorded his greatest achievements. Also over two periods as manager (1987-1990 and 2002-2005), he took PSV to six Eredivisie titles – including a double with the 1988 European cup – four KNVB cups and  a Dutch Super Cup.

Since Hiddink’s first stint in charge of the Oranje team, a long list of the nation’s football greats have come and gone at the helm, as the volatile form of star players such as Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie is somehow continuously reflected upon the coach.

Even the third place World Cup finish in Brazil lacked conviction. It took a last minute turnaround to overcome Mexico, while van Gaal’s now-famous last minute decision to substitute goalkeepers for a penalty shootout against Costa Rica edged a place in the semi-finals.

Unfortunately there has been little momentum generated since the end of tournament when Hiddink took back the reigns, with the start to the Euro 2016 campaign bringing average results to put it kindly. The Dutch have won just three of the six qualifying games played so far, two of those victories coming against Latvia and the other against Kazakhstan. With a 1-1 draw against Turkey and defeats at the hands of the Czech Republic and Iceland leaving them third in the Group A standings, it is still uncertain as to whether the Netherlands will make the 15^th anniversary edition of the tournament.

The lack of interest in Hiddink’s services since his departure from the Dutch team comes as somewhat of a surprise. As the beginning of the 2015-16 season fast approaches, the only reported offer to come his way was from Leicester earlier in the month, which the now 68-year-old showed little interest in according to the Dutch press, yet salary demands have been a point of contention he has previously been criticised over.

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In the 2012-13 season he took club outfit FC Anji to a third place finish in the Russian Premier League, so it cannot yet be said with complete certainty that he has lost the special touch that can generate results.

While no man can be at the top of the football mountain forever, it would be disappointing to see Hiddink not get a chance at redemption.

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