Guus: This is favour for my friend Abramovich

After sacking Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday, the Russian billionaire telephoned his country's national coach to ask him to take up the managerial reins.

Hiddink was swiftly persuaded to take charge until the end of the season thanks to his friendship with the billionaire, who he says has helped transform Russian football with his riches.

Abramovich is a backer of the Russian Football Union and it was reported in Moscow last December the Chelsea owner had paid £3.4million to cover Hiddink's salary after the Dutchman had not been paid for two months.

Hiddink, who will see out his contract with Russia until after the 2010 World Cup, said today: "This is a favour for a friend. Abramovich does so much for Russian football that I wanted to give something back. He called me personally."

The 62-year-old will not take over until after Saturday's FA Cup tie at Watford when Ray Wilkins will be in charge. However, Hiddink will be at Vicarage Road so he can cast his eye over a side whose season has been in danger of collapsing under Scolari in recent weeks.

The coach is no stranger to turning a troubled dressing room full of international players and inflated egos around and he has been backed to bring success back to Chelsea this season.

Former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink knows all about Hiddink's man-management techniques, having played under him during World Cup 98 for Holland.

He may have finished as one of the top scorers in the League for Leeds that season but he claimed only a bit-part role as Hiddink's side reached the semi-finals. While the Dutch failed to get past Brazil in the last four, it was still a remarkable feat considering the ill-disciplined rabble that Hiddink had struggled to motivate at Euro 96, where they flattered by reaching the last eight.

He proved it was no fluke by guiding minnows South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, Australia to the knock-out stages four years later and then Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008.

Hasselbaink has always been considered to be one of the most reluctant players to fully support a manager for club or country but the former Real Madrid coach earned his respect, even though he spent most of the 1998 World Cup on the sidelines.

The suspicion remains that too many powerful figures in the Chelsea dressing room are in control of what happens yet, for the short term, at least, Hasselbaink feels Hiddink will show them who's boss. Hasselbaink said: "He has a lot of authority around him, straight away you have a lot of respect for him because of the way he is.

"He knows a lot about football and he wants a passing game. He is not afraid of changing his system. He looks at the materials he has and what is the best system to play.

"He will get the best out of the Chelsea players. If you look at what he has done with South Korea and Russia after what he has achieved with Holland, it is amazing.

"Let's not also forget what he did with Australia.
"I don't think he is afraid of the pressure of taking charge of Chelsea. He always wanted to work in England because it is one of the countries he hasn't worked in yet.

"For a manager to work in the Premier League, it is going to be a big challenge but he knows what he has to do. "In terms of man management, he is one of the best."