Guus Hiddink has been tasked with ensuring China qualify for the finals of the 2020 Olympic Games football tournament after the former Real Madrid and Netherlands coach was handed the reins of the country’s under 21 team on Monday.
Hiddink, 71, becomes the latest big name coach to move to China since the country’s president, Xi Jinping, stated his desire for the nation to become a global football power.
The Dutchman joins fellow European Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi on the payroll of the CFA, with the Italian World Cup winner currently preparing the senior team for the finals of the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in January.
Top coaches such as Luiz Felipe Scolari, Fabio Capello, Manuel Pellegrini and Andre Villas Boas have also had stints with clubs in the Chinese Super League.
Hiddink’s appointment was announced on the Chinese FA’s official website.
