Guus Hiddink Appointed Chelsea Manager: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Chelsea have named Guus Hiddink as manager until the end of the season. The Dutchman replaces Jose Mourinho, who left the Blues on Thursday after a disastrous start to the Premier League campaign left them one point off relegation after 16 games.

The club revealed Hiddink's appointment on Saturday:

Per Chelsea's official website, he said:

"

I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around.

I am looking forward to working with the players and staff at this great club and especially renewing my wonderful relationship with the Chelsea fans.

"

Football writer Elko Born believes the Dutchman is the ideal candidate to turn things around at Chelsea, which ESPN FC's James Tyler and B/R's own Garry Hayes wryly reiterated:

Sports lawyer and writer Jake Cohen hailed Hiddink's previous success in the transfer market:

"

When he was managing Anzhi, Guus Hiddink signed Willian from Shakhtar. Good taste.

— Jake Cohen (@JakeFCohen) December 19, 2015"

OptaJoe offered a further reason for Blues fans to be excited by his arrival:

However, as the Guardian's Dominic Fifield noted, Hiddink's situation this time around is even more difficult than the one he inherited from Luiz Felipe Scolari:

Hiddink previously managed the Blues in the 2008-09 season following the departure of Scolari, and he guided them to third place in the Premier League and won the FA Cup.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

The Dutchman proved immensely popular with the players and had a rejuvenating effect on the squad after a fairly dismal spell under the Brazilian. In 23 games with Chelsea, he won 17 and lost only once.

Though John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel are the only players left at the club from Hiddink's first spell in charge, the whole squad will likely be well aware of the positive impact he had last time around, and Hiddink himself will undoubtedly be looking to replicate that in order to salvage Chelsea's season.

Three days before his dismissal, Mourinho conceded the club would no longer be able to finish in the top four after losing 2-1 away to Leicester City.

His assessment was probably correct given how far the Blues remain behind their rivals, but with plenty of time left in the season, and the Champions League and FA Cup potentially still up for grabs, there's room for the campaign to finish on a high.

With a 28-year managerial career under his belt, Hiddink is as experienced as they come and has managed a wide array of teams, from Real Madrid to the South Korea national side, so he is an outstanding candidate to turn things around at Chelsea.