The Dutchman continues to insist that he will leave the interim role with Chelsea and return his focus to the Russia national team at the end of the season.

He is currently combining both roles since agreeing to take over from sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari last month.

But Chelsea have reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the last eight of the Champions League in a seven-match unbeaten run under Hiddink's control.

Some of the players who were out of form under Scolari's tenure have reacted to Hiddink's arrival in astonishing fashion.

Ivorian striker Didier Drogba, axed by Scolari towards the end of his reign, has smashed four goals in the last five games and the team's renowned fighting spirit has returned under the Dutchman.

Now a number of the key first-team players have already stated they want him to remain Stamford Bridge beyond the summer.

"I would love for him to say he is staying for three years," said midfielder Michael Ballack.

"Everybody in the club and around the club can feel he is a great manager and even in a short time he has had a big influence on the team."

Ballack's sentiments were echoed by the club's Czech Republic international goalkeeper Petr Cech.

He is another player who has rediscovered his top form under the Dutchman's influence.

"He is a very good coach and we want him to stay," said Cech. "But it is a difficult political situation and we will have to wait to see what happens."

The political situation will ultimately be solved by the Russian Football Union. They allowed Hiddink to join Chelsea because of his close relationship with the club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

Their friendship could be tested to the limit in the summer if the pressure grows on Hiddink to remain with Chelsea on a full-time basis.

Russian Football Union president, Vitaly Mutko, admitted things could change in the summer but says it would be better for Hiddink to remain in charge of a national side.

"At the moment, we have an agreement with Guus Hiddink that he will combine the two posts only until the summer," said Mutko.

"Of course, everything can change, but we should take into account that, for Hiddink, it is better to work with a national side. He is not only a coach but also an organiser, a politician - not a club man.

"I don't think he would agree to join any club other than Chelsea, and that is not because of his special relationship with Roman Abramovich but because Chelsea is the kind of global side that any coach would like to manage."

Meanwhile an inspired Drogba continues to insist he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge.

The striker was the subject of intense transfer speculation during the January window and with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2010, more frenzied talk of his departure is expected in the summer.

But the striker, who has rekindled his striking prowess since Scolari's exit, is adamant he wants to remain part of the Chelsea set-up.

Scolari axed Drogba after his woeful display in the 3-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford in January. But since Hiddink's arrival, Drogba has been a revelation.

"The good thing is that I had the support of the players and people like Ray Wilkins were supporting me because I didn't deserved what happened later," Drogba told Chelsea TV.

"But after that it's choices, and it's manager's choices, so what can I say. I've said before I'm staying. It's not because I had my knee problems and what happened with the manager, I just really wanted to make it clear again that I'm here.

"Everything I have had since I've been here I can't forget, but the best is yet to come. I really want to do something that people will remember here with my mates. We did it before but we want to do it again and so we are working on it a lot."