Guus Hiddink has paid tribute to his PSV Eindhoven side after they sealed another title triumph on Sunday.

PSV picked up the point they needed to retain their trophy by drawing with Groningen.

Hiddink believes the title is all the more impressive after they were tipped to struggle at the start of the season following the loss of several key players.

Mark van Bommel joined Barcelona and Johann Vogel moved to Milan, while South Koreans Lee Young-pyo, Park Ji-sung and Dutch defender Wilfred Bouma all headed for the Premiership with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Aston Villa respectively.

“This is a beautiful championship, especially because nobody, including ourselves, considered us candidates for the title,” Hiddink told Tele 2 TV.

“If I consider how my team has played this season, I have to pay my respects to them.”

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