Amsterdam (AP) – Even after Louis van Gaal, the bosses of the Dutch Football Association are again putting their trust in an old acquaintance.
In the summer of 2020, Ronald Koeman gave up the post of Bond coach for an ultimately unsuccessful 14-month interlude at FC Barcelona. From January 1st next year, the former international will train Elftal again.
“A little over a year and a half ago, I certainly didn’t leave the Dutch national team out of dissatisfaction,” Koeman said in a statement from the federation. According to the Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf”, a large part of the team is said to have wished for Koeman’s return.
Van Gaal, who is in his third term as national coach, had already informed the association in December that he did not want to coach the team beyond the World Cup. On April 3, the 70-year-old made his prostate cancer disease public on Dutch television. But he wants to be there at the end of the year at the World Cup finals.
Happy about Koeman’s return
Koeman’s contract runs until the 2026 World Cup. During his first engagement as Bonds coach in February 2018, he only lost four out of 20 games and led the Dutchman to the final of the Nations League. In qualifying for the European Championship, the Dutch under Koeman had taken second place in the group behind Germany.
“We will soon continue on this path. That’s clear to me,” said Koeman. “We are very happy to have Ronald back next year,” said Marianne van Leeuwen. The director of professional football at the KNVB: “In his previous ‘term’ as national coach, there was great satisfaction with his work and the results.”
Koeman was no longer in office at the European Championship finals. Because of the corona pandemic, it had to be postponed by a year from summer 2020, but Koeman was Barça coach at the time. He was sacked by the Catalans in October last year.
Koeman himself played 78 times in the Elftal, in 1988 he was European champion. It was the first and so far last title for the Dutchman.