Australia and PSV Eindhoven coach Guus Hiddink has denied reaching an agreement with the Russian Football Association (RFU) to become their new national coach after this year's World Cup Finals, saying that he has had contact with other football associations.

RFU vice-president Nikita Simonyan, stated on Thursday to Dutch television’s NOS Sport that Guus Hiddink was about to be named as Russia's new national coach.

But, after Friday's training session with the Dutch Eredivisie leaders PSV, Hiddink said he had never spoken to Simonyan, and that: “It seems all a bit premature.”

Simonyan then backtracked on his statement, saying there had been a misunderstanding.

Hiddink continued: “We had some contacts but not only with the Russian association, also with other associations.

“I never spoke with that men (Simonyan) and don't know him. Put people before a camera and microphone and they will say these things, you can't prevent that.”

“I expected this announcement earlier from a different side,” said the Socceroos coach, in a statement that could even mean another country is due to announce his employment.

The RFU then issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying that no contract with the 59-year-old Dutchman had been signed.

“There was a misunderstanding. I have no information that Hiddink has been appointed Russia coach,” Simonyan told the Reuters news agency.

“I just said that it (Hiddink's appointment) was widely reported by the Russian media but there has been no official statement on our part.”

Earlier this week, a Russian newspaper, citing unnamed sources close to the RFU, said RFU chief Vitaly Mutko had told the national team players about his decision to hire Hiddink as the new national coach.

The newspaper report said that the Australia coach would take over immediately after the World Cup finals.

Other Russian sources have claimed that Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich is willing to finance any bid for Hiddink, and that he would also pay his wages.

Hiddink, who guided the Netherlands and South Korea to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 and 2002, is currently combining the jobs of coaching Dutch champions PSV along with preparing Australia’s Socceroos for the finals.

Former Russia Coach Yuri Syomin quit in November after the Russian’s failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals after coming third in Group 3 in the Europe Zone qualifiers behind Portugal and Slovakia, who managed to win the play-off spot on goal difference to the Russians.

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