Hiddink to be Australian national coach

Dutchman Guus Hiddink has confirmed he will be the new 'Socceroos' coach and Football Federation Australian is expected to formally announce his appointment in Sydney tomorrow. Hiddink told reporters in South Korea he and FFA had reached an agreement for him to coach the Australian national tream while keeping his current job with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. He said he would juggle both jobs until the World Cup playoffs against the fifth-placed South American side in November. If Australia qualified for the World Cup finals, Hiddink would then take over the job on a virtually fulltime basis.

"We have to work out some details which I proposed to them," Hiddink said after PSV drew 1-1 with French club Lyon to bow out of the Peace Cup pre-season tournament in Suwon, South Korea, last night. "In case that we do so, then it's both jobs until November. And afterwards we have to see if they qualify for the World Cup. But in any case, I will keep my job with Eindhoven. For the moment, we agreed that my job with Eindhoven will be kept," The Age (Melbourne) reported.

Hiddink took both Holland and South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals and won the 1988 European Cup with PSV. He took PSV to the Champions League semi-finals last season and has also coached Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Betis.