Ruud Gullit to Be Coach of Chechnya's FC Terek Grozny, Interfax Says

Ruud Gullit, a former world and European soccer player of the year, will become coach of soccer club FC Terek Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region, Interfax reported, citing comments from the republic’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

The club played its first major soccer game in the 2008 season after the two rebel wars fought against the federal government between 1994 and 2000.

Kadyrov, a former rebel whose father, Akhmad, was killed by a bomb at the city’s stadium in May 2004 when he was premier, is also president of the soccer club. Part of his effort to rebuild Grozny’s shattered homes and infrastructure is a 10,200-seat arena for Terek.

Gullit, 48, lead the failed Belgian-Dutch joint bid last month to stage the soccer World Cup in 2018. The tournament was awarded to Russia.

Gullit scored the first goal in his country’s 2-0 win against the Soviet Union in the 1988 European Championship final. He ended his playing career in England with Chelsea, where he became manager in 1996 and won the F.A. Cup a year later.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Corcoran at Jcorcoran13@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Gavin Serkin at gserkin@bloomberg.net