Juve made Hiddink ‘approach’      

There is more pressure piling on Juventus boss Ciro Ferrara after it was revealed that the club had contacted Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman’s agent, Cees Van Nieuwenhuizen, confirmed that the Italian giants had been in touch during an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

While confirming rumours that Manchester City had made enquiries about Hiddink’s availability, Van Nieuwenhuizen noted that there had also been contact with the Old Lady.

“Yes, I did [speak to City chief executive Garry Cook]. But Guus is happy with Russia. Definitely,” Van Nieuwenhuizen told Telegraph Sport.

“I had a call because I have been working with Garry for 12 years since we worked together at Nike.

“But I have received calls from all over the world about Guus. There has also been an approach from Juventus.”

However, the agent seemed to suggest that the lure of club football wasn’t enough of a temptation for the Russian national boss.

“Guus is very relaxed,” he added. “He starts his holiday tomorrow and in January there are elections for a new President for the Russian Federation.

“He is contracted until next summer but there is an offer for him to stay for two more years and I think he will definitely stay.”

The 63-year-old has been associated with the Juventus hotseat after a crisis of results have seen Juve lose four out of their last five games, as well as crashing out of the Champions League.

Other contenders to replace Ferrara mid-season are former Inter boss Roberto Mancini and Claudio Gentile, the Juventus legend who has enjoyed success in the past while in charge of the Italian Under-21 side.