Published: 23 November, 2009, 16:56
Edited: 23 November, 2009, 17:14
Former Zenit St. Petersburg manager Dick Advocaat could take over from Guus Hiddink as the Russian national team’s head coach, the Sport Express newspaper reports.
Hiddink's contract expires in July 2010, but after Russia failed to make it to the 2010 World Cup, speculation has grown that Hiddink may leave sooner than that.
The Russian paper claims that former Zenit president Sergey Fursenko will most likely head the Russian Football Union after the resignation of the union's current President, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
If Fursenko is elected and Hiddink resigns as coach of the Russian national football team, Fursenko could invite Advocaat to once again try his hand in Russia, as he already did in 2006.
Zenit's three years under Advocaat were the most successful in the club’s history, with their first Russian Premier League title, followed by the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2008.
However, Advocaat is currently working with the Belgian national side, which is seen as the main obstacle for the Dutchman’s moving to Russia.
Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink says he will make an official announcement about his future as soon as January. Until then, the Russian Football Union is unlikely to make any appointments.