World Cup mastermind Guus Hiddink to join Socceroos’ camp & celebrations in Brisbane
Football Australia is pleased to announce that legendary Dutch and former Socceroos coach, Guus Hiddink, will return to Australia next month to be part of the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ farewell match and 100th anniversary celebrations.
Hiddink has been invited by Football Australia and Socceroos Head Coach Graham Arnold to travel to Brisbane, where the Socceroos will take on New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium on the evening of Thursday, 22 September (kick-off 8pm AEST).
Hiddink will partner his former protégé Arnold for Australia’s home friendly against the All Whites, and be on Australian soil as Football Australia celebrates 100 years since the Socceroos’ first ‘A’ international fixture, which took place against New Zealand in Dunedin in June 1922.
With one of Arnold’s regular right hand men, Rene Meulensteen, remaining in Europe for the September FIFA international window to scout two of Australia’s FIFA World Cup™ Group D opponents, France and Denmark, Arnold believes the presence of one of the game’s greatest ever managers will serve as inspiration and motivation for the squad he selects to tackle New Zealand next month.
“We are delighted that Guus Hiddink has accepted our invitation to return to Australia for this important match at Suncorp Stadium,” Arnold said. “Not only is it important that we seek to recognise people that have made an enormous contribution to sport in our nation, but I believe having Guus in camp will inspire the players picked for our two-match series against the All Whites – all of whom will be competing for a place in our final FIFA World Cup™ squad which will be announced in November.”
Guus is a great storyteller, so I can’t wait to see the effect he has on this current generation of Australian players. Many of our boys know of his feats and achievements internationally but have never had the opportunity to meet him. This is also going to be a great opportunity for football fans to say ‘thank you’ to Guus for his work for Australian football in 2005 and 2006."
Hiddink – who is now retired from professional coaching following an illustrious career that saw him lead prestigious clubs including PSV, Valencia, Real Madrid, and Chelsea, as well as National Teams including his native Netherlands, Korea Republic, Russia, Turkey, and of course Australia – said the time he spent coaching the Socceroos was amongst the most enjoyable periods in his career.
“It was for me a wonderful time,” Hiddink said of his Socceroos’ tenure. “I am very delighted to go there [to Australia] because every now and then when I talk about my career with people, I always highlight my experience with the Socceroos.”
“This is one chapter in my career which gave me a lot of energy. I met very kind people and very open-minded people, which I liked very much.”
Arnold was one of Hiddink’s assistants when the Socceroos famously secured qualification for Germany 2006 against Uruguay in Sydney, and then made history by reaching the Round of 16 at the tournament proper.
Hiddink explained that when he saw that the Socceroos had qualified for Qatar 2022 it brought back fond memories from the mid-2000s.
“I had an emotion because it [seeing the Socceroos had qualified] kind of revived what we did at that time,” he added. “I had a lot of good people in my staff. The lead man was of course ‘Arnie’ [Graham Arnold] who gave me a lot of information about players, and I needed his information and his contribution. We worked very well together.”
Today marks one month to go until the Socceroos go head-to-head with New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The game will be the final opportunity for Socceroos supporters, sports fans, and the general public to see the team on home soil before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Tickets for the match are on sale via Ticketek.
On the day of the fixture, Football Australia will announce the list of players selected in the Socceroos’ ‘Team of the Century’, while at the match, Socceroos and Australian football history will be embedded into the match presentation.
Just three days after the Socceroos meet the All Whites in Queensland the nations will play again at Auckland’s Eden Park. Match information and tickets regarding the New Zealand leg of the series is available here.
Socceroos vs New Zealand
Date: Thursday, 22 September 2022
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland
Kick-off: 8.00pm AEST
Tickets: On sale now from www.ticketek.com.au
New Zealand vs Socceroos
Date: Sunday, 25 September 2022
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Kick-off: 4.00pm (local time), 1.00pm (AEST)
Tickets: On sale now from www.ticketek.co.nz
Both of the Socceroos’ matches in September will be shown live and free in Australia via Network 10 and simulcast on 10 Play, as well as streamed live on Pararmount+.