Chelsea Now In Transition – Hiddink

With Chelsea 10 points below the top four in the Premier League, they face next season being almost certainly their first without Champions League football since Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.

Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Everton represents their last potential path to silverware this season and Hiddink said the club’s hierarchy would need to think hard about their next managerial appointment.

“Chelsea is now in a transition period,” said Hiddink, who has returned last season’s Premier League champions to an even keel after succeeding the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.

“They have to see how to go on and try to regain the lost terrain where Chelsea used to be. Chelsea must consider its short future, how to handle this.”

Hazard was booed off by some fans after sustaining a hip injury and also came under fire on social media for swapping shirts at halftime with PSG winger Angel di Maria, but Hiddink refused to condemn him.

“I’m aware. It should not be done,” he said of the shirt-swap.

“But in some countries it’s usual that you do it (at halftime) and not after the game. Maybe they’re both used to doing that. Don’t overvalue this issue.”

Hiddink felt that his side had been “too respectful” in the game’s early stages, but after falling behind to Rabiot’s 16th-minute tap-in they rallied and equalised through Costa’s drilled finish.

Ibrahimovic had the final say, however, deftly converting Di Maria’s left-wing cross, and Blanc feels that his side are now even better equipped for success in the tournament’s latter stages than a year ago.

“It’s a much higher level, the Champions League, and we have much more experience,” he said.

“The young players were very good technically and tactically. That’s very good going forward, for us, but also for them.”