Hiddink's small ego fits right in at thorny Chelsea.

Byline: SIMON KUPER

Hiddink's small ego fits right in at thorny Chelsea IT WAS a snowy evening in Amsterdam, and a dozen men had gathered in an apartment.

First there was a soccer quiz, then a banquet, then good talk into the early morning. Guus Hiddink was the senior figure at the table, a globally admired soccer manager. Yet he did not behave that way. The Dutchman, who is Chelsea's manager for the rest of the season, likes telling stories but is also happy to sit back and listen to others. He is a solid, jowly presence, a man's man, but feels no compulsion to dominate.

Small ego is a phrase Hiddink often uses to describe himself. That is rare in …