Football
Liam Twomey, Chelsea correspondent 8y

Leicester approached Guus Hiddink before Claudio Ranieri

LONDON -- Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink has confirmed that he turned down the opportunity to take over at Leicester City last summer, before the newly crowned Premier League champions approached Claudio Ranieri.

Leicester's remarkable title triumph was confirmed on Monday when Chelsea fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, with Hiddink revealing afterwards that Ranieri had called to thank him for his team's second-half display.

Ranieri was a surprise appointment when Leicester confirmed that he would succeed Nigel Pearson at the King Power Stadium last summer, but Hiddink says that he was also offered the role while he was out of work following a disastrous spell in charge of the Netherlands national team.

"It is true that Leicester asked me [to be their coach] for this season," Hiddink told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "But I had decided that it was a time for rest, and I wanted to just do nothing."

Hiddink ventured back into club management in December when he returned for a second spell as interim Chelsea manager, replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho with the struggling Blues hovering above the relegation zone. 

Chelsea now lie 10th in the table with three matches of the season remaining while Ranieri's Leicester will be officially presented with the Premier League trophy this weekend, but Hiddink insists he does not regret his decision.

"The club was in a negative flow and there was panic," he added. "It was my task to restore a calm atmosphere and that happened. If we kept losing, even a club like Chelsea could have got into big problems. Just like nobody expected that Leicester became champions, that could have happened.

"It turned out to be a great half season and I want to end it well with these last matches. I don't regret for one moment that I said 'yes' to Chelsea. The Premier League is the best and it's fantastic that I could have a second spell."

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