Offer Guus Hiddink couldn’t refuse

Roman Abramovich's decision to make the manager of the Russian national football team Guus Hiddink (pictured with the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev) his new stopgap coach at Chelsea, replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari who was sacked on Tuesday, will come as no surprise to the oligarch's intimates.

The Dutchman's job managing Russia, who he took to the semi-finals of Euro 2008, was arranged by Abramovich and it is he who pays most of his €6m salary. As the Independent points out: "Hiddink may have been Russia's coach but he is owned by Abramovich".

Because of this, Hiddink was obliged to answer the call when the Chelsea owner came knocking, despite being on record as saying that, at 62, he was too old to take another club job. He also knew, as did Abramovich, that there would be no objection to the move from the Russian Football Union. Doubtless under the guidance of President Medvedev, the RFU gave its immediate blessing to his temporary loan to Chelsea until the end of the season.

Hiddink has made no secret of the fact that he owes Abramovich. The relatively sedate business of running the Russian national team, which involves a cosy relationship with the ruling elite, now gives way to a far more taxing schedule as he shuttles between Moscow, his home in Amsterdam and Stamford Bridge, where he must rescue Chelsea from its run of mediocre form under the luckless Scolari.