France v Brazil: Joe Kiddle gives his best bets for tonight’s glamour friendly…

Ruud Gullit has arrived in Chechnya to take over as coach of Russian league club Terek Grozny.

The former Dutch international was greeted by several hundred fans at the airport in Grozny before a planned meeting with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who is also president of Terek Grozny.

Terek finished 12th this season in the Russian Premier League. Kadyrov has given Gullit a target of a top-eight finish next season.

Gullit has coached Chelsea, Newcastle, Feyenoord and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Regional police said three explosions hit different areas of Grozny late Tuesday, injuring three police officers and two civilians, but Kadyrov insisted Wednesday that the situation in the war torn city was calm.

Gullit has been criticized at home for his decision to coach Terek Grozny. Human rights activists have accused Kadyrov of human rights violations, including abductions, torture and killings of suspected rebels.

Gullit has dismissed the criticism and insisted that his presence could have a positive influence on the region.

“You will always have people for and against. But I don’t want to be involved in politics, I want to concentrate on the sport and give the people there a little pleasure in their lives again,” he said in an interview published last month in De Volkskrant.

France v Brazil: Joe Kiddle gives his best bets for tonight’s glamour friendly…

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