Here’s a story we didn’t think we’d be writing today.
Former Chelsea and Russia manager Guus Hiddink is planning on building football facilities specifically for those who are visually impaired within the dictatorship of North Korea.
Hiddink, who also managed South Korea during their successful run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals, reportedly wants to build a futsal ground in the country, and is set to travel to the capital Pyongyang on Thursday to discuss his plans.
The Guus Hiddink foundation has already constructed 13 futsal grounds for the visually impaired in South Korea, called Dream Fields.
He told South Korean media outlet MBN, per NK News:
(I want to build futsal grounds) not just in Pyongyang, and hopefully in other cities in the North … we can make a plan to work with kids as well.
Hiddink is something of a hero in South Korea, and was given honorary citizenship after finishing fourth during their historic World Cup run, which saw them defeat Italy and Spain, before losing 1-0 to Germany in the last-four.
His trip to the notoriously difficult city in the North should be straightforward, with a MoU official told NK News:
As Hiddink is not a South Korean citizen, he doesn’t have to notify to Ministry of Unification (MoU) before visiting North Korea.
It was an application for a South Korean staff member.
Perhaps we’ll see Hiddink – who was sacked by Holland earlier this year – as a future North Korea boss as a result of the initiative?
RSS