Gullit's crazy Chechen job 'too bizarre for words'

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Ruud Gullit said his five-month stay at Chechen club Terek Grozny was so absurd he found it funny. The Dutch coach was sacked on Tuesday after poor results left Terek close to the bottom of the Russian Premier League.

The club accused the former Chelsea and Newcastle manager of having a poor attitude, lying to the press about the availability of funds for transfers, and being more interested in nightclubs than football.

"First the president threatens me, then we lose by a last-minute own goal and then I find out from Holland that I'm fired," said Gullit. "What can I do other than see the humour in it all? I knew that I would be dismissed even if we'd won."

Terek's president is also the Kremlin-backed president of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been implicated in human rights abuses. Gullit answered directly to Kadyrov, leading many to question the decision to take up the post, which he admitted was partly based on the excellent money he received. "This is all such a crazy story," said Gullit. "I knew this was no ordinary country and no ordinary football league. But it's all been too bizarre for words."