Chelsea line up Hiddink, Simeone as Mourinho’s replacement

CHELSEA are considering appointing Guus Hiddink as caretaker manager until the end of the season with Diego Simeone eyed as Jose Mourinho’s long-term successor.

According to the Telegraph, Hiddink leads a list of potential candidates to replace under-fire Mourinho, whose position is still being examined by Roman Abramovich.

The plan would be for Hiddink to steer Chelsea away from the relegation zone as a short-term solution and put a halt to their capitulation.

Abramovich would then like to prize Simeone away from Atletico Madrid and re-build with the animated Argentine at the helm.

The report claims Abramovich’s options are slim after Carlo Ancelotti agreed to succeed Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich and Guardiola expected to join Manchester City next year.

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The position would be a familiar one for Hiddink who was drafted in to help the Blues after they sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2009.

Hiddink, 69, guided Chelsea to an FA Cup success by beating Everton 2-1 before returning to his post as manager of the Russian national team.

Mourinho has now presided over the west London club’s worst start to a season since 1978, at the end of which Chelsea were relegated.

The Portuguese coach penned a new four-year deal in the summer, and it has been suggested he would be entitled to a multi-million pound severance package were owner Abramovich and the rest of the Chelsea board decide to dispense with his services.

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