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Belgium's head coach Dick Advocaat (AFP Photo / Belga Photo Virginie Lefour)
Advocaat denies Russian job rumors
Published 24 November, 2009, 13:02
Belgium manager Dick Advocaat has dismissed talk about him replacing fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink at the helm of the Russian national football team.
“Frankly, it’s the first I’ve heard about it. There were no discussions of this issue going on. Nobody from the Russian Football Union has approached me. I have a job at the moment – I coach Belgium, and associate my coaching future only with the Belgian team. Now we are preparing for the Euro 2012 qualifying stages,” Dick Advocaat told BaltInfo website.
Advocaat coached Russian Premier League side Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2006–09, with his reign marking the brightest epoch in the club’s history. The team won the Russian championship, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup under his leadership.
There were reports in the Russian media that he could be the possible successor to Hiddink, who failed to steer Russia into the World Cup Finals.
Hiddink's contract expires next year, but he remains silent about his next move.
He has been linked with a whole raft of national teams after Russia's aggregate defeat to Slovenia in the World Cup playoffs.
