Prior to a Jose Mourinho-less Chelsea taking the pitch on Saturday against Sunderland, the club officially announced the Portuguese’s replacement.

The Blues appointed Dutchman Guus Hiddink as manager on a interim basis, meaning the English side will re-evaluate their managerial situation at season’s end.

The 69-year-old manager previously took on an interim job with Chelsea during the 2008-09 campaign in which the team finished third in the English Premier League. Hiddink was nothing short of brilliant in his first stint with the Blues, losing just one league match and leading the side to an FA Cup crown.

“I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge,” Hiddink said in a release. Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around.”

Hiddink, a former professional player in his own day, most recently served as manager with the Dutch national team. The veteran coach was relieved of his duties after only 10 matches and posting a record of 4-1-5. Additionally, Holland failed to qualify for the UEFA European Championship under Hiddink, a competition the nation hasn’t missed out on since 1984.

Chelsea defeated Sunderland, 3-1, at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in front of Hiddink, who watched on beside owner Roman Abramovich and former Blues legend Didier Drogba.

Here are some more news and notes:

AMERICANS HARRIS, BLITZER BUY INTO CRYSTAL PALACE

American investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer already owned two professional sports team before Friday evening’s announcement.

The duo, who currently own the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL side New Jersey Devils, have reportedly began their next financial endeavor in the soccer realm with English Premier League club Crystal Palace. Harris and Blitzer will join chairman Steve Parish in taking over control of the rising club, who currently sits sixth in the Premier League.

According to the report, all shareholders involved in the ranks of Palace have agreed upon an injection of 50 million Euros into the organization. That money is said to cover the expense revamping the team’s stadium, Selhurst Park.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be joining the Crystal Palace family. We were drawn to the club’s rich history, exciting brand of football, strong leadership and, above all, its passionate fans,” Harris and Blitzer said in a joint statement.

BARCA HOPEFUL MESSI, NEYMAR READY FOR CLUB WORLD CUP FINAL

La Liga leaders Barcelona will go for its second trophy of 2015 on Sunday when the Spanish club takes on Argentine powerhouse River Plate. Luis Enrique’s side is more than capable of a victory, however, the task could be much easier with stars Lionel Messi and Neymar involved in the clash.

Messi has been battling an illness, while Neymar has missed time as of late with a groin injury sustained earlier this month.

“(Messi and Neymar) are fine and both are getting better: There is still a training session to go and plenty of time before the game,” Enrique remarked during Saturday’s news conference.

PSG TO DECIDE ZLATAN’S FUTURE IN FEBRUARY

With Paris Saint-Germain superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of contract at the end of the 2015-16 season, club president Nasser Al Khelaifi revealed in an interview with Le Figaro that he and the PSG brass will discuss the Swede’s future in February.

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic is in his fourth year with the Paris club, after previously playing for various European powers Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan, to name a few. During his time with PSG, the striker has tallied 122 goals across all competitions and made 146 appearances for the Parisians.

While Ibrahimovic’s status with the club beyond this season remains in question, Al Khelaifi did state that he believes manager Laurent Blanc will stay in Paris and that “there will be no problem extending his contract.”

Here are today’s completed fixtures from Europe’s top divisions:

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland

Manchester United 1-2 Norwich City

West Bromwich Albion 1-2 AFC Bournemouth

Everton 2-3 Leicester City

Southampton 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Stoke City 1-2 Crystal Palace

Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa

SPANISH LIGA BBVA

Valencia 2-2 Getafe

Espanyol 1-0 Las Palmas

Real Betis 0-0 Sevilla

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Werder Bremen

Cologne 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Ingolstadt 04 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Hamburg SV 0-1 Augsburg

Hanover 96 0-1 Bayern Munich

Stuttgart 3-1 Wolfsburg

ITALIAN SERIE A

Bologna 2-3 Empoli

FRENCH LIGUE 1

Caen 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain

Bastia 2-0 Stade de Reims

Lorient 0-0 Nantes

Toulouse 1-1 Lille

Monaco 0-0 Troyes

Guingamp 0-2 Stade Rennes