They don’t make them like that anymore, do they?You know, those silent, introverted tacticians that used to wear tracksuits all the time, with an inevitable moustache on their ice-cold faces that would remain careless even if their side would knock a stoppage-time winner in front of an ecstatic crowd. There’s no genuine term for those coaches, but the name of Guus Hiddink could be helpful as a sort of a synonym to perfectly describe what and who are we talking about.Guus Hidink back in 1998 (©Alex Livesey/Allsport)A former PSV, Real Madrid and Chelsea gaffer (just to mention a few) has called it the end of the day – as per several reports, Hiddink, 74, decides to retire and enjoy his retirement days. Albeit he was recently appointed as a head coach of the Curacao national team (a small Caribbean island that used to be a Dutch colony for ages), Guus has changed his mind due to poor health and Covid-19 issues. And calmly walks into history, where he booked his place as early as 1988, in his first complete season as a coach.Happy 70th birthday, 1988 #UCL-winning coach & PSV hero Guus Hiddink! pic.twitter.com/yffGxwp9dM— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 8, 2016 A couple of months earlier, in March 1987, as a beginner, he took charge of the Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and led them to unprecedented success, winning the famous Treble in 1988 (European Cup and domestic double). The Phillips-backed club won two more home titles in a row, which allowed Hiddink to move abroad, and after a short, unsuccessful spell with Fenerbahce, he imposed his modern coaching philosophy in Spain – a hotbed of immaculate football. A couple of fruitful seasons with Valencia showed he was good enough to be given the hazardous role of the Oranje coach.A small talk with Poch back in 2016 when Guus was in charge of Chelsea (©Ian Walton/Getty Images)The Netherlands were packed with outstanding players and likes of Bergkamp, Jonk, Koeman, Winter and others – with the prodigious generation of Ajax youth prodigies like Kluivert, Davids and Seedorf fast approaching – but were lacking results. And, above all, discipline and authority. They were notorious for their man-management issues, brawls, even fights between the players.That’s where our Moustacheman stepped up, and since day one, made sure the players were aware of who’s the boss there. It even resulted in an infamous Davids’ EURO 1996 exit when Hiddink sent him home for misbehaving in the middle of the tournament.Pjanic is frustrated, it was essential that Griezmann leaves, we’ll survive Messi’s painful exitAlthough Oranje failed to reach the semi-finals, Guus was backed by the national FA and started a meticulous campaign for the 1998 World Cup. With his young assistants Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman and experienced Johan Neskeens, Hiddink created a healthy atmosphere that pushed the Dutch team all the way to the semi-finals. Hiddink and his crew prior to the 1998 World Cup (©VI Images via Getty Images)Dennis Bergkamp was impeccable, Kluivert reached his peak, and it seemed like the Netherlands are not far from glory. However, Ronaldo (there can be only one) and his Brazil managed to somehow hold them in the decisive tie and advance to the finals after a traumatic penalty shootout.What a side that was… (©Jerry Lampen Image-Reuters)That was the end for Hiddink in his home country, but he bounced back with such a style on the following tournament and in the dugout of an absolute underdog.South Korea were the co-host along with Japan in 2002 and were smart enough to give their keys into the hands of Guus Hiddink. Without a single outstanding player, let alone a star, the Koreans defeated Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain to reach the last-four stage. Despite ending as the fourth, just like with his compatriots four years prior, Hiddink became the first-ever person to be given honorary South Korean citizenship.In addition, other rewards soon followed – a private villa in Jeju-do island, free flights for life with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, free taxi rides, among others. The World Cup stadium in Gwangju, where South Korea qualified for the semi-finals, was renamed Guus Hiddink Stadium in his honour shortly after the tournament. His hometown, where a ‘Guuseum’ (its name is a world play, Guus and museum merged into Guuseum) was set up, became a popular stopover for South Koreans visiting the Netherlands.##EDITORS_CHOICE##If it were only for that and PSV stint, Hiddink would already be one of a kind. Yet, along the road, he also used to guide Real Madrid, Chelsea and the national teams of Australia, Russia and Turkey. Wherever he worked, the silent Dutchman would never give up on his coaching skills and ways that made him almost a unique figure in the world of football. VVV VENLO – DEN BOSCHWe wish him lengthy retirement and many, many more years of enjoying a football game. Only this time, only as a fan.By: Bojan Babic
