Guus Hiddink, who Dutch media reports say will coach the Ivory Coast at this year's World Cup, has yet to request that the Russian football authorities invalidate his contract.

"Hiddink hasn't been in touch about this," Russian Football Union director general Alexei Sorokin told RIA Novosti.

Dutch media said earlier this week that the Ivory Coast had told Hiddink, who failed to get Russia to the finals, must break his contract with the Russian Football Union before the third week of March. Hiddink's contract with Russia runs out in July.

Hiddink took over the Russian team in the summer of 2006 and worked wonders to transform the fortunes of a side that had become something of a national joke, taking it to the Euro 2008 semi-finals. He was hailed as the saviour of the Russian game and there were calls for him to be granted honorary citizenship. A number of children were also named after him by enthusiastic fans.

However, he was criticized throughout the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign for spending too little time in Russia and relying too heavily on the players who had served him so well at Euro 2008.

Matters came to a head in a crucial play-off against tiny Slovenia when a lackluster and tired Russia crashed out after a 2-1 win at home was cancelled out by a 1-0 defeat in Maribor.

MOSCOW, March 11 (RIA Novosti)